Public Sector Owned Opportunity Sites:

includes sites with the potential for community-led development

 

Policy NK29: The Keep

 

Should proposals come forward for the comprehensive or partial redevelopment of land at The Keep, as shown on the Policies Map, they will be supported, provided the opportunity is taken to improve its pedestrian and cycling connectivity with the surrounding area. Proposals should also consider how land may be made available to enable the expansion of the adjoining primary schools.

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Proposals for the future development of this site should include the provision of community services, including where appropriate arts and cultural facilities, commensurate with the size of the planned development. Consideration should be given to the need for additional healthcare and educational facilities to support the population growth in North Kingston.

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Redevelopment will be expected to demonstrate a significant net gain in the biodiversity of the site, commensurate with its size.

   

5.132 The Keep is approx. 6 Ha of privately rented housing accommodation used by the Ministry of Defence. It lies in the heart of the Neighbourhood Area off Kings Road and comprises an estate of low density two and three storey, terraced, semi and detached houses and flats with amenity land and garage courts.

 

5.133 The Ministry has confirmed that there are no immediate plans to make the site available for development. But, with the plan period covering twenty years, the Forum wishes to have a policy that anticipates, but does not depend on, its future release, bearing in mind the London Plan encourages plans to “optimise the potential for housing delivery on all suitable and available brownfield sites … especially the following sources of capacity … the redevelopment of surplus … public sector owned sites” (Policy H1).

 

5.134 Although there is clearly an opportunity for redevelopment to significantly increase the efficient use of the land and remain in keeping with the surrounding residential area, the policy focuses on such future plans achieving two objectives. Firstly, the site adjoins two primary schools – Latchmere and St. Agatha’s – and the Forum expects there will be an increasing demand for primary school places in the coming years with approx. 9,000 new homes to be delivered in the Kingston Opportunity Area alone. There are few, if any, easy means by which local capacity can be increased – utilising part of The Keep may be one such opportunity that should be considered. The London Plan encourages proposals on the public-sector estate to make best use of land, including the co-location of different forms of social infrastructure and the rationalisation or sharing of facilities (Policy S1).

 

5.135 Secondly, as the site is currently only accessible by car, cycling and walking from its one access on to Kings Road, any future redevelopment proposals should seek to find ways of connecting the land with Staunton Road, Latchmere Road and Dinton Road.

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Policy NK30: Elm grove

 

Should proposals come forward to redevelop land at Elm Grove, as shown on the Policies Map, a mixed residential, medical services and childcare facility scheme will be supported, provided they accord with the relevant design and other policies and they have specific regard to the following key principles:

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• Comprehensive masterplan and planning application for the whole site

• Flatted residential scheme on upper floors

• A larger medical facility and day care facility are provided on the ground floor

• Interim provision made for the operation of the health centre and day nursery

• On site open space provision that is accessible to all new residents of the scheme and existing residents and that forms an extension to the adjoining Elm Road Open Space and enables a connection to the new open space at Canbury Business Park (Policy NK6)

• A design strategy that:

• locates and articulates buildings fronting Elm Grove near its junction with Elm Crescent to respond to the revealed views of the site from along Elm Crescent;

• locates and articulates buildings in the SE and NE corners of the site with Elm Road to respond to their prominence in the streetscene along Elm Road and in long views along Deacon Road and to the tranquillity of Elm Road Open Space; and

• comprises buildings generally of no more than 4 storeys along the Elm Grove frontage and no more than 3 storeys on the Elm Road frontage and boundary with the Open Space are recommended.

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Proposals for the future development of this site should include the provision of community services, including where appropriate arts and cultural facilities, commensurate with the size of the planned development. Consideration should be given to the need for additional healthcare and educational facilities to support the population growth in North Kingston.

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Redevelopment will be expected to demonstrate a significant net gain in the biodiversity of the site, commensurate with its size.

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5.136 The site comprises the Ashway Centre industrial park, the Canbury Medical Centre and Bright Horizons Nursery, on land of approx. 0.7 Ha in total with a PTAL rating of 6a. The site is consistent with the aspirations of the Kingston Opportunity Area and the Local Plan may therefore in due course include it within the boundary of the Kingston Town Centre Opportunity Area (identified in the Early Engagement’ document of May 2019). The Ashway Centre forms part of a Locally Significant Industrial Site (LSIS) along with the Canbury Business Park (see Policy NK21) and land at Cowleaze Road (see Policy NK22). It is a source of employment in North Kingston but has a relatively low employment density (jobs/Ha). The Medical Centre and Nursery are both very popular, but their respective facilities may both be improved through their comprehensive or complementary redevelopment with the Ashway Centre.

 

5.137 The London Plan requires that plans optimise the potential for housing delivery in this type of location on low-density sites in commercial use (Policy H1). Where this involves the release of industrial land, its Policy E4 states that this should be facilitated through the processes of industrial intensification, co-location and substitution (as set out in its Policy E7). Given the pivotal location of the site at the edge of the Kingston Town Centre Area Action Plan boundary and adjoining the Open Space, and with a stronger desire to see the existing community facilities retained and improved, it is not considered necessary to retain employment uses on the site. Instead, Policy NK21 provides for the retention and intensification of employment uses on the larger and better located Canbury Business Park site. As such and given the low employment density of the existing businesses at the Ashway Centre, there is unlikely to be any significant overall loss in the number of FTE jobs in this area.

 

5.138 All the current buildings on the site are relatively low rise and there is the opportunity through redevelopment to increase the efficient use of the land, whilst retaining and improving the medical centre and nursery alongside the residential uses. Using the former London Plan Density Matrix as a guide, as there is nothing to suggest its approach is no longer appropriate for this site, the scheme may therefore deliver approx. 100 new homes in flatted accommodation of 3 – 4 storeys above the community uses on part of the ground floor.

 

5.139 The London Plan encourages the creation of new areas of publicly accessible open space, particularly green space, especially in areas of substantial change in its Policy G4. There is the opportunity to extend the adjoining Elm Road Open Space through the site as part of its new public realm provision, which will connect with similar new open space provision required at Canbury Business Park by Policy NK21.

 

5.140 The re-development of all of the Council’s sites in the Acre Road and Elm Road area as a single development may offer particular public benefits and as such would be supported, subject to meeting the objectives of the policies of the Neighbourhood Plan. However, their separate development may offer better opportunities for local house builders and enable earlier completion. 

 

5.141 The consultation carried out in 2019 into the initial Draft Neighbourhood Plan confirmed support for the future redevelopment of the Council’s sites but many supported a diverse inclusive community with development in keeping with the area.

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Policy NK31: Acre Road (Murray House)

 

Proposals to redevelop land at Murray House, Acre Road, as shown on the Policies Map, for a residential scheme, including a proportion of specialist older persons housing, will be sup-ported, provided they accord with the relevant design and other policies and they have specific regard to the following key principles:

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• A design strategy that;

  • The location and articulation of buildings on each site respond to the prominence of the frontages in long views along Acre Road;

  • Comprises buildings of normally no more than 3 storeys;

  • Retains the footpath from Acre Road to Elm Road;

  • Maintains the existing building line; and

  • Incorporates street tree planting along its frontage;

• The provision of an appropriate financial contribution to the delivery of a replacement community facility at Canbury Business Park (Policy NK21)

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Proposals for the future development of this site should include the provision of community services, including where appropriate arts and cultural facilities, commensurate with the size of the planned development. Consideration shall be given to the need for additional healthcare and educational facilities to support the population growth in North Kingston, including how this site could additionally be used to provide permanent expansion of St Luke’s primary school, in line with policy NK33.

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Redevelopment will be expected to demonstrate a significant net gain in the biodiversity of the site, commensurate with its size.    

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5.142 The London Plan encourages the use brownfield land in public sector ownership to deliver new homes but also requires that proposals that would result in a loss of social infrastructure should only be permitted where there are realistic proposals for re-provision that continue to serve the needs of the neighbourhood and wider community (Policy S1).

 

5.143 The Murray House site is likely to come forward for redevelopment in the next decade and is suited to a residential scheme, given its current primary use and the character of the surrounding area. It remains well located to deliver homes suited to older households, of one form or another, but the community facility is better re-provided off site (see Policy NK21). Using the former London Plan Density Matrix as a guide, the scheme may deliver approx. 50 new homes in flatted accommodation.

 

5.144 The re-development of all of the Council’s sites in the Acre Road and Elm Road area as a single development may offer particular public benefits and as such would be supported.  However, their separate development may offer better opportunities for local house builders and enable earlier completion. 

 

5.145 Acre Road is a particularly good location for Sheltered accommodation / Assisted Living due to its closeness to many local shops, pubs, and other social amenities.  Redevelopment to bring the Council sites up to modern days standards would be a particular advantage, especially to the residents of Dowler Court who have suffered deteriorating living conditions for a number of years.

 

5.146 The consultation carried out in 2019 into the initial Draft Neighbourhood Plan confirmed support for the future redevelopment of the Council’s sites but many supported a diverse inclusive community with development “in keeping” with the area.

 

Policy NK32: Canbury Court Garages

 

Proposals to redevelop land at Canbury Court Garages, as shown on the Policies Map, for a residential scheme will be supported, provided they accord with the relevant design and other policies and they have specific regard to the following design strategy that comprises buildings of up to 3 storeys in the form of flatted accommodation, and/or terraced development in a mews court layout.

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Redevelopment will be expected to demonstrate a significant net gain in the biodiversity of the site, commensurate with its size.  

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Redevelopment will be expected to conserve and enhance the significance of the Riverside North Conservation Area and its setting.

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5.147 The London Plan encourages housing delivery on all suitable and available brownfield sites, especially the redevelopment of surplus public sector owned sites (Policy H1). It also encourages the delivery of new homes on small sites below 0.25 hectares in size, which can support self-build or community-led housing schemes (Policy H2).

 

5.148 The garage site is no longer used efficiently for its original purpose and presents an opportunity for redevelopment. Using the former London Plan Density Matrix as a guide, the scheme may therefore deliver approx. 10 new homes in a flatted, terraced or mews-type scheme.

 

5.149 The London Plan also seeks to secure greater diversity in housing supply to reduce the reliance on a small number of large private developers. New and innovative approaches to development, including community-led housing, and self-build, should be pursued. Publicly owned land is one key means of achieving this objective, hence the policy requires some such provision to be made within the overall, housing tenure mix.

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Policy NK33: St. Luke’s Primary School  

 

Proposals to relocate St.Luke’s Primary School will be supported provided it is part of a strategy that leads to a net increase in primary school places in North Kingston.

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Proposals to redevelop the site for a residential scheme, including a proportion of specialist older persons housing, will be supported, provided they accord with the relevant design and other policies. The proposals must also make provision for a new area of open space that is accessible to all new residents of the scheme and existing residents that forms an extension of the adjoining Elm Road Open Space.

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Proposals for the future development of this site should include the provision of community services, including where appropriate arts and cultural facilities, commensurate with the size of the planned development. Consideration should be given to the need for additional healthcare and educational facilities to support the population growth in North Kingston.

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Redevelopment will be expected to demonstrate a significant net gain in the biodiversity of the site, commensurate with its size.    

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5.150 The current site has been developed piecemeal over a number of years resulting in an inefficient use of land. There is therefore the potential for the phased redevelopment of the site to provide additional teaching space. Careful planning should enable the school to remain open during redevelopment with perhaps alternative temporary space being made available in the former Health Centre building at the corner of Acre Road and Cross Road as necessary.

 

5.151 However, this policy also anticipates future proposals to rationalise, improve and increase the capacity of primary school places in North Kingston by addressing the future of St. Luke’s Primary School in Acre Road. The site is limited in its capacity and is not capable of expansion. Should acceptable proposals be made to relocate the school then the policy focuses on how the site may be reused for residential development.

Policy NK34: Kingston Fire Station   

Should proposals come forward to redevelop land at Kingston Fire Station, as shown on the Policies Map, a residential scheme will be supported, provided they accord with the relevant design and other policies and they have specific regard to a design strategy that:

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• reflects prominence of site on Richmond Road frontage and maintains the existing building line of properties on the eastern side of the road in this vicinity;

• comprises buildings of up to 4 storeys on the Richmond Road frontage but no more than 3 storeys any other part of the site are considered appropriate;

• avoids large, unarticulated expanses of building blocks or service yards adjoining the rear of residential properties in Tudor Close or to the public open space on the junction of Tudor Close and Richmond Road;

• includes a landscape scheme with frontage trees and amenity land to Richmond Road.

 

Proposals for the future development of this site should include the provision of community services, including where appropriate arts and cultural facilities, commensurate with the size of the planned development. Consideration should be given to the need for additional healthcare and educational facilities to support the population growth in North Kingston.

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The proposals must include some provision for community-led housing and/or self-build in the tenure mix.

Proposal to redevelop must include either a replacement fire station, on the site or an under-taking that the provision of Fire Service cover will be maintained nearby, commensurate with the additional development anticipated in the Borough.

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Redevelopment will be expected to demonstrate a significant net gain in the biodiversity of the site, commensurate with its size.  

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5.152 The London Plan encourages housing delivery on all suitable and available brownfield sites, especially the redevelopment of surplus public sector owned sites (Policy H1). It also states that proposals that would result in a loss of social infrastructure … should only be permitted where … there are realistic proposals for re-provision that continue to serve the needs of the neighbourhood and wider community” (Policy S1).

 

5.153 There may be an opportunity through redevelopment to increase the efficient use of the land, but only if it becomes surplus to requirements and assuming the Fire Service is able to demonstrate the community will continue to be properly served by a new location. Using the former London Plan Density Matrix as a guide, the scheme may therefore deliver approx. 35 – 50 new homes in flatted and other housing forms.

 

5.154 The London Plan also seeks to secure greater diversity in housing supply to reduce the reliance on a small number of large private developers. New and innovative approaches to development, including community-led housing, and self-build, should be pursued. Publicly owned land is one key means of achieving this objective, hence the policy requires some such provision to be made within the overall, housing tenure mix.