New plans to house the homeless in ex-student accommodation revealed
By Charlotte Lillywhite, Local Democracy Reporter
New plans to turn ex-student accommodation into temporary homes have been unveiled, after previous proposals were rejected.
Developer AKA Capability LLP has bought Mount Clare campus, previously used by the University of Roehampton, and wants to use the site for temporary housing while drawing up more permanent proposals.
The developer has resubmitted plans to Wandsworth council to convert the empty campus into hostel accommodation, after its previous application was refused in September over concerns it would result in an ‘over-concentration’ of Houses of Multiple Occupation (HMO).
But documents submitted with the latest application said the site already has permission to be used as a hostel, as separate proposals to allow this were approved in 1957.
They said that although the developer does not need planning permission for the scheme, it wants to win this so it can ‘proceed as soon as possible with plans” to ensure that the buildings, particularly the listed buildings, “do not fall into further disrepair”.
The documents said the scheme would allow the site ‘to be more actively managed, kept secure, and to avoid further degradation until a more permanent and appropriate uses can be found’.
The site includes 18th-century Grade I listed Mount Clare House, 20th-century block Picasso House and 15 blocks of student accommodation. The plans would see Picasso House and the student accommodation blocks converted into 274 rooms for homeless families.
A total of 11,183 households were on the council’s housing waiting list as of March this year.
Most of the rooms would have ensuites and kitchenettes, while clusters in Picasso House would have shared kitchens and bathrooms.
Wandsworth council will make a decision on the latest plans in due course.
Pictured top: Mount Clare campus, Roehampton (Picture: NTA Planning LLP/Specialist Real Estate Limited, provided in Wandsworth council documents)
