Twelve Storey Wimbledon Office Block Plan Is Set For Approval
Proposed Town Centre Tower Would Be Taller Than Morden Civic Centre
Twelve storey office block planned for Wimbledon town centre
Controversial plans for a twelve storey office block in Wimbledon town centre which would be taller than Morden Civic Centre have been recommended for approval.
Merton council planners are set to vote on the scheme proposed for St George's Road at a meeting on Thursday (February 10).
Developers M&G Real Estate want to demolish the existing St George's House East building (see picture below) and replace it with a part seven-storey and part 12-storey office block, with ground floor retail space.
They say it will increase the size and and quality of "much-needed" Grade A office space in Wimbledon town centre and will "significantly improve the street scene".
In a report prepared as part of the planning process, the developers quash the idea that the effects of the Covid 19 pandemic will reduce the need for town centre office space. They say: "Office suppliers and companies in the market are still telling us they will need physical office space in the long term.
"Whilst working from home may increase for some people and in some sectors, it is not expected that post Covid-19 working from home will become the norm."
They say it is hoped the building will create 1,600 new jobs, with people working in the new offices boosting trade for local shops, restaurants and other businesses.
Planning officers have recommended councillors give their approval to the scheme, subject to a number of conditions.
Love Wimbledon has said that while it welcomes the employment opportunities it asks that part of the office development is allocated for a number of years for small businesses and start-ups paying affordable rents.
But the Friends of Wimbledon Town Centre are among those opposing the scheme. They said: "The demolition of St George’s House after little more than 30 years is wasteful, unnecessary and environmentally damaging. The building contains an enormous amount of embodied carbon, which will go to waste if it is demolished.
"The new building will contain even more embodied carbon. The resource-efficient solution would be to upgrade the existing building to provide modern standards of accommodation and energy-saving.
"The proposed building would be oppressively large for its position in Wimbledon, and wholly at odds with the character of the place. This would be a massive increase in scale, rather than a gentle intensification that would allow the town centre to develop successfully on a human scale."
The Wimbledon Society has also opposed the plan. They said the scale of the building is what could be expected in inner London and is not in the character of Wimbledon.
The group said the demolition of the existing building, built in the 1980s, cannot be said to be sustainable. It also claimed the evolution of the 'work from home' concept means there is a reduced need for offices and a change in the thrust of the Council's plans is required.
Comments made by members of the public include: "The building proposals are too high. They should remain at the current level. Wimbledon people love the low-rise nature of Wimbledon and your building will set a precedent to have a much higher rise Wimbledon which I don’t want."
"Hugely wasteful, unsustainable move to create an unwanted tower block. We don’t need thousands more office workers and no local residents want these high-rise blocks built."
"The existing building is appropriately scaled and with the extensive brick facades, makes an interesting and positive contribution to the street scene. The new building is a generic, designed-by-accountants, over-scaled block which will be a dominating presence. Unfortunately, given the low quality of the decision-making by Merton Council, I fully expect it to be waved through and we will all have to suffer this proposed eyesore for decades to come."
The existing office block on St George's Road
February 6, 2022