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Agenda item

Wimbledon Town Centre Masterplan

Paul McGarry, Head of Future Merton, will provide an update on the latest Masterplan consultation

Minutes:

Paul McGarry, Head of Future Merton, gave a presentation on the final draft of the Future Wimbledon Supplementary Planning Document. The presentation slides are below. Paul said that the consultation document is available on the Council website; the consultation is open until 6 March. As with previous versions, this plan covers commercial centre, not residential area and sets out a common vision for the town centre in response to the piecemeal development. The plan will supplement existing planning policies, sits under London Plan and Local Plan. The plan also sets out how the Council could use Community Infrastructure Levy to develop public space.

 

The process to date has included workshops and prior consultation. In response to the last consultation, this plan reduces the number of themes from ten to five; emphasises heritage aspects; reduced building heights; broken the plan into five year phases; improved design quality standards, and identified ten public spaces to improve.

 

The plan also considers the following issues:

  • A need to redefine streets to create more space for pedestrians and cyclists
  • The new local plan will include stronger emphasis on sustainability
  • There is a need to be more flexible and adaptable buildings
  • How Crossrail 2 will link into wider plans, more infrastructure (bridges) and a town square in front of the station. However, Paul said the Council will want to use document to lobby Network Rail to invest in the station with new walkways linking platforms regardless of the Crossrail development.

 

Paul also showed a fly through video, which is available on the website. Paul asked that responses to the consultation be submitted via Council website. Once the responses have been reviewed, a final version will be put to councillors at full Council in April/May.

 

Residents raised a number of points and asked questions, these are set out below along with Paul’s response.

 

Point raised

Response

The focus is on business space instead of the local community

Wimbledon is a commercial centre and the focus is on those areas. Not looking to change heritage buildings, instead looking for growth in buildings that are not liked by the community.

Building heights are four times the current levels and this ignores feedback from previous consultations; what are the metre limits on heights? Has the micro climate impact of tall buildings been considered

Building heights are shown in relation to neighbours and can vary by usage, commercial is higher than residential. Height map will set out the case applicants will now have to make. The Council is not proposing high buildings, but there is growth in London and in Wimbledon and it creates more jobs and investment.

No demand for office space currently

There is high levels of occupancy in the town centre currently

what work has been done to engage younger audiences

Have previously engaged with local schools and other youth groups but would love to hear more from young people

Is there enough time to properly consider comments on the plan?

This is the final draft plan, based on feedback from previous feedback so there is not the detail to work through that there was before.

Previous strong support for improving public spaces and amenities and these are not reflected in the plans. More effort should have been put into creating a public space in the town centre.

There was a strong desire for a town square. This is not possible to deliver without huge change, so incremental change is necessary, starting with theatre and St Marks Place.

Neighbourhood planning group launched last Saturday, aim to produce a Neighbourhood Plan for Wimbledon.

Neighbourhood plan’s place in policy setting is covered in document. Video is an illustration, detailed design will follow as and when resources are available.

Plan does not address traffic and will stop other ideas to redirect traffic. How will this link in borough wide cycle network?

Presentation does not cover all the detail, more detail on the website including additional bridges that will reduce pressure on Wimbledon Bridge Road. Will consult on traffic remodelling or new infrastructure but the SPD does not cover the detailed plans for the roads.

The plan could set out quality design thresholds

There is clear guidance in plan, to carry on with existing quality of white stone or red brick.

Planning application for Frances Grove (planning reference number 19/P3814) is for poor quality development.

Unable to comment on live planning applications.

Heritage assets are supposed to be prioritised, but the Bank building planning permission does not keep that asset.

That building has been locally listed so the application would have been reviewed by conservation officer and considered by Planning Applications Committee

 

Transparency is concern with pre planning advice not shared; and Merton not publishing comments on planning applications on their website.

Merton cannot stop planning applications from being submitted but does encourage developers to consult pre-application. That way residents can influence applications before they are submitted.

 

 

Supporting documents: