Five Hundred More Homes Approved in High Path Estate Development
Clarion increases number of units and height of blocks in latest phase
The High Path estate redevelopment will take place over the next 15 years. Picture: Clarion Housing
June 19, 2023
An extra 500 housing units were approved as part of the next stages of a huge estate regeneration in South Wimbledon which will see more than 2,000 homes built.
The next four phases of the High Path Estate project were discussed by Merton Council last week. It is one of three in the borough being knocked down and rebuilt by Clarion Housing Group, which runs the authority’s social housing.
Phase one of the redevelopment has already been built with residents moved in and the second phase is set to start soon. Merton Council’s planning committee heard updated plans for phases four to seven which are expected to take place over the next 15 years.
The updated outline plans have added another 568 homes to original proposals bringing the overall total up to 2,272. The latest planning application was a change from the outline permission given in 2019.
As well as more flats, Clarion has plans to increase the heights of buildings, the tallest would be 13 storeys.
At a meeting of the planning committee on Thursday (16 June) resident Caroline spoke at the meeting and said she lived in the closest Victorian building to the development. She told councillors that locals would be overshadowed by one of the eight storey blocks planned for the redevelopment.
Brian Ham, redevelopment director for the Merton regeneration, said, “Much has changed since the first masterplan, not least the Covid-19 pandemic which has altering people’s working and shopping habits. The highly efficient, but nevertheless gas fired, energy systems proposed in the first plan are also no longer acceptable as we face up to the need to de-carbonise.”
The outline planning permission was given permission by the committee.
At the same meeting, Clarion was given permission to build almost 100 flats in nearby Station Road. The housing association wants to use it to move residents from the Eastfields Estate in Mitcham.
Tara O'Connor - Local Democracy Reporter