Plans for 600 homes on old gasworks site in Mitcham revealed

By Tara O’Connor, Local Democracy Reporter

Full plans for almost 600 new homes on an old gasworks site have been revealed.

Developer St William has submitted a planning application for 595 new homes on the former gasworks in Mitcham.

The site in Western Road closed in 1960 after 93 years of operation and was demolished at the end of 2021.

There has already been strong opposition from residents, with hundreds signing a petition against the development.

Plans include flats across buildings between five and nine-storeys tall. The developer said the height was reduced from an initially proposed 14 storeys after feedback from residents.

In the development are 234 would-be one-bedroom, 308 two-bedroom, 44 three-bedroom and nine four-bedroom flats. A total of 35 per cent would be offered as affordable homes, of which 70 per cent would be priced at social rent.

The developer said it plans to provide more than 2,000sqm of play space for children, as well as new public green spaces. The plans also include ground floor shop space fronting Western Road.

Overall, the plans include 135 car parking spaces, and more than 1,000 cycle parking spaces.

A planning statement said: “St William is committed to delivering a new neighbourhood containing buildings, spaces and homes of high quality.

“The proposed buildings will be of high-quality design, with architectural details that reference the historic use of the site, while respecting the surrounding local context.

“The proposed development has evolved and improved as a result of the pre-application engagement process, notably reducing the height of the tallest buildings from 14 storeys to nine storeys, reducing the density from about 700 homes to 595 homes, and amending the layout to remove the road from the centre of the site and deliver more publicly accessible green space in the heart of the site, and a layout that prioritises pedestrians and cyclists.”

Public consultation on the plans is open until February 19, after which a decision will be made by Merton council.

Pictured top: Plans for the old Mitcham Gasworks site (Picture: St William)