Tooting police station to become block of flats

By Charlotte Lillywhite, Local Democracy Reporter

An “iconic” police station will be turned into 62 homes and a community space after laying empty since 2020, despite neighbours’ concerns over losing privacy and struggling to park.

The new homes will be just a 10 minute walk from Tooting Broadway Underground station, which sits on the Northern line.

Developer Telereal Trillium will enhance and extend two connected buildings on the Mitcham Road site – including the Grade II listed 1930s former police station and Section House – to create one, two and three-bed flats.

The developer bought the site for £8.25million in March 2021 after the station closed in October 2020.

Merton council has now granted planning permission for the development, which includes two disabled car parking spaces and 137 cycle spaces. Three letters of objection to the plans were sent to the council.

One comment included in a council report read: “The police station overlooks my back garden. I feel once the flats are built I will not get any privacy as there will be more people in the building as a result of the 60+ flats being built over the five floors.”

Officers acknowledged there would be some change to “perceived overlooking” for some neighbours but concluded overall the development will not be detrimental to them due to loss of light or overshadowing.

The plans will see key elements of the building’s exterior restored, the domed room reinstated and internal staircases and terrazzo flooring retained, along with a single-storey roof extension to both buildings.

After the plans were approved, James Bradbury, senior development manager at Telereal Trillium, said: “We’re delighted to be one step closer to bringing this iconic local building back into use. By taking a heritage-first approach, our proposals will celebrate the rich history and heritage of the former police station, while delivering new community facilities and much-needed new homes to Tooting.

“We look forward to continuing to work with the local community over the coming months to ensure our proposals deliver for new and existing residents in Tooting.”

Pictured top: External CGI of the plans for Tooting’s old police station (Picture: Collado Collins and Telereal Trillium)