It’s a no-go from council for extra homes at Tooting’s ‘Springfield Village’

By Charlotte Lillywhite, Local Democracy Reporter

A scheme to build 449 more homes at a new ‘village’ in Tooting to help fund new hospital facilities have been refused.

A total of 839 homes have already been approved at Springfield Village as part of Springfield Hospital’s major revamp, along with new mental health facilities, a 32-acre public park and care home.

Developers Barratt London and STEP submitted plans to Wandsworth council to build 449 extra homes, including 220 affordable homes, as the final phase of the ongoing development at Springfield Drive.

Buildings on remaining plots of land on the southern part of the site would have been demolished, to bring the total number of homes to 1,288 – an increase on the 839 homes that are already being built.

Springfield Hospital’s revamp forms part of South West London and St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust’s plans to upgrade and build new mental health facilities in the area.

The two new mental health units at the centre of the scheme are already open, along with the first and largest part of Springfield Park. The second part of the park is set to open later this year.

A statement submitted with the application for the 449 extra homes said selling the land would help to fund new facilities at Tolworth Hospital in Kingston.

The plans included 440 extra flats in blocks up to five-storeys tall, nine three-bed townhouses, 48 car parking spaces and 817 cycle parking spaces.

Council planning officers recommended approval of the scheme in a report after ruling it to be of a ‘suitable high quality and design’.

Officers added the proposed five-storey blocks did not comply with council policy but would have a ‘limited impact’ on the skyline, while concluding the impact on surrounding roads would be ‘acceptable’.

But the council’s planning committee rejected the scheme on March 20, after raising concerns about the impact on Metropolitan Open Land (MOL) and surrounding roads.

Labour councillor Tony Belton had urged the committee to approve the plans after praising the “very substantial amount of affordable housing” put forward. Out of the 220 affordable homes proposed, 95 would have been offered at social rent.

But other councillors argued the proposed scheme was inappropriate. Conservative councillor Ravi Govindia raised concerns about the impact on MOL and the “additional quantum of development on the site putting additional pressure on constrained roads in the neighbourhood”.

Conservative councillor Peter Graham said: “Ninety five units [at social rent] are not enough to justify a five-storey wall of housing that destroys what was agreed while permanently disfiguring the surroundings.” The committee rejected the plans, with four councillors voting in favour and six against.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan could call in the application to make a final decision, and the developers could also appeal to the planning inspector.

Pictured top: CGI of proposed 449-home scheme at Springfield Village, Tooting (Picture: Barratt London/STEP/Farrells, provided in Wandsworth council documents)