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ISSUE: Development Proposals at Whitelands College SW15. |
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Whitelands go ahead seals move to Roehampton Councillors have given the go ahead to plans for new homes at Whitelands College which will pave the way for the institution to move to a new University of Surrey campus in Roehampton. The development on the college's West Hill site comprises 396 homes of which 99 will be affordable.
The developer will also plant 170 new trees at Whitelands. The committee also agreed that the new development should be excluded from any future controlled parking scheme in the surrounding roads which would prevent overspill parking. Planning chairman Ravi Govindia said the committee felt the development had struck just about the right balance: "Overall half the site area will become open space while the setting of the listed buildings will be enhanced. The scheme also needs to be considered in the context of the college's planned move next year." "The 306 new student homes on the Parkstead House site in Roehampton will relieve the pressure on private rented accommodation in the area. Taken together with the 99 affordable homes at Whitelands this will bring a substantial increase in the availability of lower cost housing opportunities. "If the scheme had been unable to proceed it could have put at risk the huge educational benefits that would accrue from the college's relocation. Both the move and the refurbishment of the listed buildings depend on the college disposing of the Whitelands site." The full planning application is available on www.wandsworth.gov.uk/planning - ref 2003/0281, 0282 and 0283. 02.08.2003 |
The
committee was told that although part of the disused playing field at
Whitelands would be lost there would still be 2.72 hectares of public
and communal open space including a new 'village green'. These areas
would be of benefit to both new and existing residents. Residents had
been willing to support a reasonable development if the playing field
could be saved - will 2.72 hectares satisfy them?