Kingston upon Thames Council is considering a proposal to convert a vacant storage space in New Malden into affordable housing units.
The Planning Committee met on Wednesday to discuss the application for Woodfield House, Oakfield Close, which seeks to create two one-bedroom affordable housing units from an existing vacant storage area. The site is located 460m south of the New Malden District Centre, in a predominantly residential area.
According to the Public reports pack, the council cannot currently demonstrate a five-year supply of housing land, as required by the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) 2024. The report pack also notes that the proposed development would be car-free, aligning with London Plan 2021 policy T6.1. However, concerns have been raised by neighbours regarding potential increases in on-street parking.
The council's Neighbourhood Traffic Engineer has stated that while they have no objections, a legal mechanism would be needed to prevent residents from applying for parking permits if a controlled parking zone (CPZ) is extended to the area in the future. However, because the application is a Council-owned housing estate, no legal agreement can be secured.
The Fire Statement submitted was deemed insufficient because it only stated that a Fire Statement was not required as the proposal is not a 'major development'. To address this, the report pack states that a Fire Statement would be secured by condition and must demonstrate proposed means of evacuation, fire tender access and fire mitigation measures.
The report pack recommended approval of the application, subject to conditions, with authority delegated to the Assistant Director of Strategic Planning and Infrastructure to finalise these conditions in consultation with Councillor Mark Beynon, Chair of the Planning Committee.