Policy NK9: local shopping parades

 

The Neighbourhood Plan defines the following clusters of retail and other local services uses as Local Shopping Parades, as shown on the Policies Map:

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1. Kings Road Parade

2. Tudor Parade

3. Park Road North Parade

4. Park Road South Parade

5. Richmond Road North Parade

6. Richmond Road South Parade

7. Kingston Hill Gateway Hub

8. Kingston Gateway Hub

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Where planning permission is required, proposals to change the use of a unit within a Parade to a residential ground floor use will be resisted unless there is authoritative marketing evidence that demonstrates that the unit is no longer viable to serve a non-residential purpose and that its change of use will not undermine the viability and vitality of the remainder of the Parade.

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Development proposals will also be required to contribute to the improvement of the immediate public realm.  

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5.47 The London Plan encourages plans to consider the protection of local shopping parades and to develop appropriate policies to support and enhance their role and prevent the loss of retail and related facilities that provide essential convenience and specialist shopping (Policy SD7 and E9).  

 

5.48 This policy identifies those local shopping parades in North Kingston that fulfil this important local commercial and social function. The planned growth for the area will mean these local commercial and social functions become even more important in the future.  At present, some change may be possible without requiring planning consent, so the policy focuses on changes of use and other development proposals that normally will require consent.  

 

5.49 The public consultation on the initial Draft Neighbourhood Plan carried out in 2019 found general support for Local Shops with 80% of respondents indicating support for local shopping centres. Allowing a wider range of land uses such as business and community uses in order to maintain street frontages, with time limited free on street parking nearby, would help to prevent the domino effect of the incremental loss of units to purely residential use.

 

5.50 It is recognised that some changes of use do not now require planning permission and permitted development rights may be extended to enable future changes of use from what are now Class E commercial, business and service uses to residential uses. Should this be introduced, it is requested that the Borough Council will make an Article 4 Direction for Local Shopping Parades to remove those rights, enabling such changes to remain in planning control.

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Policy NK10: Public Houses

 

The Neighbourhood Plan identifies the following buildings and

their curtilages as Public Houses for their heritage, cultural,

economic or social value:

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• The Oak, 98 Richmond Road, Kingston upon Thames, KT2 5EN

• Whelans, 20 Richmond Road, Kingston upon Thames, KT2 5EB

• The Grey Horse, 46 Richmond Road, Kingston upon Thames, KT2 5EE

• The Canbury Arms, 49 Canbury Park Road, Kingston upon Thames, KT2 6LQ

• The Norbiton, 16 Clifton Road, Kingston upon Thames, KT2 6PW

• The Black Horse, 204 London Road, Kingston upon Thames, KT2 6QP

• The Pottery, 20 Park Road, Kingston upon Thames, KT2 6BE

• The Willoughby Arms, 47 Lowther Road, Kingston upon Thames, KT2 6LN

• The Wych Elm, 93 Elm Road, Kingston upon Thames, KT2 6HT

• The Park Tavern, 19 New Road, Kingston upon Thames, KT2 6AP

• The Queens Head, 144 Richmond Road, Kingston upon Thames, KT2 5HA

• The Boaters Inn, Canbury Gardens, Lower Ham Road, KT2 5AU

• The Cardinal Kingston, 174 Tudor Drive, Kingston upon Thames, KT2 5QG

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Development proposals that will lead to the loss of a Public House will be resisted unless there is authoritative marketing evidence that demonstrates that there is no realistic prospect of the building being used as a pub in the foreseeable future. In additional to a conventional marketing exercise, it must also provide the local community with a reasonable opportunity to express an interest in acquiring the property.

 

Development proposals for the redevelopment of associated accommodation, facilities or development within the curtilage of the Public House will be supported, provided it can be demonstrated that the development will secure the long term viable use of the Public House and that the works will not compromise its operation or viability.

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5.51 The London Plan requires that “development (plans) … should … protect public houses where they have a heritage, economic, social or cultural value to local communities … unless there is authoritative marketing evidence that demonstrates that there is no realistic prospect of the building being used as a pub in the foreseeable future” (Policy HC). It is clear from the engagement activities that the local community regards the remaining public houses in North Kingston as precious social as-sets and so the Forum wholeheartedly supports the Mayor’s initiative.

 

5.52 This policy identifies those public houses that are considered to have either heritage, cultural, eco-nomic or social value, taking into account the factors set out in the London Plan (see its §7.7.6). A separate report demonstrates how each pub performs against these criteria.