Kingston Bridge House application goes to Planning Committee

The Kingston Bridge House saga rumbles on. It is going in front of Richmond Council Planning Committee on Wednesday 6th December.

To attend the meeting to speak or just to observe, see foot of this page.

If you have comments and are unable to attend in person, please email Councillor Robin Brown (Cllr.R.Brown@richmond.gov.uk) who has registered to speak at Wednesday’s meeting. Please also copy in Councillor Jonathan Cardy, Chair of the Planning committee (Cllr.J.Cardy@richmond.gov.uk) and info@hamptonwick.org.uk

Many revisions and versions

This isn’t a new application but it has been through many versions and revisions. We do wish to see progress with this development as currently it is just an empty eyesore.

However we do have concerns including the foillowing:

Parking – where will all the new residents park?
Inadequate provision of affordable housing – just four units out of 70!
The seemingly absurd “Winter Gardens” proposal (see below).

Click here for full information on the current development

Misleading images

The HWA planning representative has the following to say about the Winter Garden element of the proposal:

“The latest revision to the elevations of Kingston Bridge House, in a 1970’s revival style with period embellishments, are seriously flawed to the extent as to be misleading. We therefore object to these proposals. The CGIs, submitted 12 Sept 23, show ‘winter gardens’ as recessed balconies (i.e., a protected semi-outdoor amenity space) with single full height and width glazing closing them off facing the Hampton Court Road. This elevation faces south-west and such internal spaces would be rendered uninhabitable because of the very substantial heat gain this results in, even if airconditioning was used. The applicants M&E Engineer will confirm this. In practice winter gardens in such locations typically incorporate some form of opening such as oversized louvre glazing. Architects such as Ian Simpson have worked on such details for many years (architect of One Blackfriars and the Beetham Tower Manchester, for example, all with winter gardens). The point is that the designers will need to radically change the appearance of this elevation from that currently shown to make the scheme work. It cannot be built as shown. TO LEAVE THE IMAGES AS THEY ARE IS MISLEADING to the extent they are not appropriate for an Application. They should be amended, following advice from their engineers, to show something that can be built”

Have your say

You can attend in person but need to give notice by 12 noon on Monday if you wish to speak. If you are not proposing to speak at the meeting and only wish to observe, priority will be given to those who have registered to speak on an item on the agenda who will have a space reserved for them. The remaining seats will be allocated on a first come, first served basis. More information here: https://cabnet.richmond.gov.uk/documents/s500008262/Planning%20Committee%20Public%20Information.pdf

If you have comments and are unable to attend in person, please email Councillor Robin Brown (Cllr.R.Brown@richmond.gov.uk) who has registered to speak at Wednesday’s meeting. Please also copy in Councillor Jonathan Cardy, Chair of the Planning committee (Cllr.J.Cardy@richmond.gov.uk) and info@hamptonwick.org.uk