Wimbledon MP wants plans for 100-home development overturned
By Tara O’Connor, Local Democracy Reporter
An MP wants to see plans for more than 100 homes on a former sports ground overturned.
In September, Merton council gave developer Bellway the green light for 107 new homes, 44 of which would be classed as affordable, on the former London Electricity Sports and Social Association (LESSA) in Raynes Park.
The land, in Meadowview Road, was a private ground for the use of company employees and closed down in 2000. Since then, it has been shut to the public.
Stephen Hammond, MP for Wimbledon, said it was a “huge surprise” the application was passed just months after similar plans were rejected by the council. He thinks the land should be brought back into sports use.
In a video statement, the Conservative MP said: “Unfortunately the Bellway application was passed so I have written to the Secretary of State for Levelling Up to make sure this application is called in and properly reviewed so people can hear that there is a viable sports alternative and that local opposition is respected.
“I want to see local residents in West Barnes have the environment and sporting opportunities that everyone else has. Stopping Bellway building houses on LESSA is a key part of that.”
The plans were approved at the end of September. The application came after a similar application was rejected by the council in June after more than 260 objections.
The approved plans received 120 objections and include an extra football pitch and more than £1m in contributions to other sports sites in the borough.
This includes £ 1.1m for a new cricket wicket and changing rooms at Joseph Hood recreation ground, £100,000 to a rugby club and £30,000 to Merton’s girls’ rugby development fund.
At the planning committee meeting when the plans were approved, Julian Goodban, from Bellway Homes, said: “This site has never before been open to the public. It was a private facility for the sole use of employees, so there is no loss of a sporting facility.
“In terms of a potential sporting use for the whole site, the council’s own assessment is that given the upfront site preparation costs, sports use isn’t a deliverable option.”
Pictured top: Bellway has submitted plans for the LESSA in Raynes Park for a third time (Picture: Bellway)