Goal is to improve football club in Tooting

BY TARA O’CONNOR Local Democracy Reporter and TOBY PORTER

A respected non-league football club is matching its local rivals by developing tower blocks on its land.

More than 10 years since the idea was first floated, a block of flats will be built at Tooting and Mitcham FC’s ground, Imperial Fields, to provide extra funding for the club.

The plan is to build 77 affordable flats built in a six-storey block on Imperial Fields, off Bishopsford Road in Mitcham.

The scheme comes days after controversial plans were approved for non-league local rivals Dulwich Hamlet to built 223 flats on their pitch, with the National League South side creating a new 4,000-seat stadium on next door Greendale Playing Fields.

The Isthmian League South Central Division club, meanwhile – known as the Terrors – hope profits from the Imperial Fields project will allow it to invest in its surrounding sports complex, currently used by 6,000 people a week for community football, boxing and soft play.

A master plan from 2008 envisages the blocks looming over the nearby Watermeads Nature Reserve, footpaths along the historic River Wandle and Poulter Park.

The plans received more than 60 objections from neighbours concerned about the loss of open space. Objectors included the Mitcham and Cricket Green Community Heritage Trust.

At a Merton planning meeting on Thursday of last week, secretary of the society Tony Burton said: “Imperial Fields is one of the most protected spaces in the whole of Merton it is part of the Wandle Valley Park and designated as a protected open space as a green corridor and critically as Metropolitan Open Land (MOL).

“MOL is effectively Merton’s green belt where development is only allowed in very special circumstances, even the applicant recognises its scheme qualifies as inappropriate development.

“While we recognise the community offer provided by the club on closer inspection the plans fall well short of meeting very special circumstances.” Tooting and Mitcham FC hopes to use money from the development to build two new buildings. One would house a reception area, changing rooms, an all weather pitch and dance studios.

The second has a club room and changing room for local running clubs as well as rooms for education. Jackie Watkins from the club told the meeting: “As a business we need sustainability to continue what we do which has become more necessary than ever since lockdown.

“For me, the decision is an easy one. Do we keep a small piece of land that hasn’t been used for many years and unlikely to be in the future or do we use it to provide additional housing, educational and sporting facilities.

“During the lockdown when the site was not protected from us being there, the whole area saw an increase in antisocial behaviour and fly-tipping. This is what happens when land is just left.

“We need to be realistic and supply what is required by the majority of people who need exercise for their health and well-being. More people would benefit from our proposal than do at the moment from the piece of unused land.”

She added that without the development it is not a given that the club would be able to survive.

The plans were approved with five votes in favour, two against and three abstentions. The club will still need to get approval from the Greater London Authority (GLA) as it is on Metropolitan Open Land.