Mayor Stays Out Of Decision On 12-Storey Wimbledon Block Plan
Office and shops complex planned to replace building opposite station
Plans for St George's House East
The Mayor of London has opted not to intervene over plans for a 12-storey high office and shops complex to replace the existing St George’s House East directly opposite Wimbledon station.
The current seven-storey building on St George's Road, at the crossroads of Wimbledon Hill Road and Alexandra Road, is home to businesses including Lloyd's Bank, Starbucks, Pret a Mangaer and Waitrose.
Developers M&G Real Estate have said their new development would provide "much-needed" grade A office space in Wimbledon town centre, as well as a potential 1,600 new jobs.
Merton Council has already indicated it will give planning permisson for the scheme, but it had to be referred to Mayor of London Sadiq Khan as it's more than 30 metres high and has a total floorspace of more than 15,000 metres.
Now the Mayor has said he is content to allow Merton Council to make its own decision on the scheme, subject to a potential 'call in' by Michael Gove, the Secretary of State Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.
He concluded in a 26-page report: "The proposed scale and massing, architecture, layout and public realm improvements are broadly supported. Officers raise no strategic concern given the approach to tall buildings set out in the emerging policy context that seeks to maximise heights around the station and the development demonstrates acceptable impacts.
"The proposal would result in low degree of less than substantial harm to the setting of the Wimbledon Hill Road and Wimbledon Broadway Conservation Areas, which would be outweighed by public benefits in terms of the uplift in high-quality employment floorspace and public realm improvements."
Earlier in the report, he stated that Merton Council's consultation process received 202 objections and 71 responses in support.
Included were representations of objection from the following local community groups: The Wimbledon Society, Wimbledon East Hillside Residents’ Association (WEHRA), Queens Road Residents Group and Friends of Wimbledon Town Centre. One representation of support was also received from Love Wimbledon.
Much of the opposition was focussed on the height of the building - rising to 54.9 metres.
M&G Real Estate said in its consultation process last year that it would taken five months to demolish the existing building (below) and two years to build its taller replacement.
Following the Mayor's decision, Merton Lib Dems commented: "Despite our 800+ petition and the individual submissions of scores of residents we are sorry to have to report that the Mayor of London considered the planning application on Monday and resolved to allow Merton Council to determine the case itself, subject to any action that the Secretary of State may take. Our only hope now is the Secretary of State who has been asked to call it in."
Wimbledon MP Stephen Hammond has asked Mr Gove to "call-in" the development, stating it is "too high and "not in keeping with Wimbledon's existing town centre".
Campaign group @SaveWimbledon tweeted: "@Merton_Council needs to be slammed for its poor vision for Wimbledon and its even poorer planning department which let this mushroom into this monstrosity and its extremely miserable public realm which will steal vision and light from the station forecourt and town."
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November 3, 2022