A controversial plan to increase the number of homes at Clifford House has been approved, with the development now set to be car-free, except for disabled parking.
The Richmond upon Thames Council's Planning Committee met on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, to discuss the revised proposal for 424 Upper Richmond Road West, which will see the number of residential units increase from eight to twelve. This uplift is achieved by converting the ground-floor commercial space into two flats and extending the rear wing.
While the increase in residential units was deemed necessary for the financial viability of the project, concerns were raised about the impact on neighbouring properties. The revised scheme results in a modest increase in harm to daylight, sunlight, and outlook for these neighbours, particularly at 61 Clifford Avenue and 422 Upper Richmond Road West. At 61 Clifford Avenue, this involves a greater sense of enclosure, visual intrusion, and daylight/sunlight losses to ground and first-floor single-aspect bedroom windows. At 422 Upper Richmond Road West, the increased massing creates additional overbearingness to lower-ground and ground-floor units, and one first-floor room now experiences daylight loss. This harm is described as modestly worse than the extant scheme
and incremental rather than transformational when compared with the fallback.
The applicant, Williams Property Group Ltd, argued that the original scheme was unviable. The original scheme (22/3165/FUL) showed a residual site value of £222,643, which was well below the benchmark land value of £903,000, indicating it was unviable and forecast to make a loss in excess of £500k. The revised plan aims to improve financial viability, showing a residual site value of £577,106, which is below the benchmark land value by £325,894, resulting in an estimated profit of 11.2%, still below the benchmark 17.5% profit allowance. This improved margin strengthens the prospect of securing funding and enhances the likelihood of completion. The revised plan also incorporates several design improvements and sustainability requirements. On the Clifford Avenue elevation, the increased bulk at upper levels is offset by improved materiality, the removal of a roof plant structure, and a stronger overall composition. The Council's Urban Design Officer considered the current proposal to represent a design improvement compared to the extant scheme. In terms of sustainability, the scheme largely meets energy policy requirements, including a 63% reduction in CO2 emissions beyond the Part L 2021 baseline, with an offset payment to achieve net-zero carbon. Green roofs were included to meet Urban Greening Factor requirements.
The decision was made on balance, with officers acknowledging the harm to neighbouring amenity but concluding that it did not 'significantly and demonstrably' outweigh the benefits, particularly the delivery of four additional homes on brownfield land. The impact on community infrastructure, including health, education, playspace, and public open space, was considered and it was concluded that there is sufficient capacity to cater for the needs of the development. Specifically, regarding education, the development's low child yield (2.1 places) means it does not place significant pressure on school places. For health, the modest scale of the development is not anticipated to strain local services. For open space, the site is well-served by nearby parks and gardens, and the development's child yield does not trigger a requirement for on-site play space provision.
Despite these concerns, the committee resolved to delegate authority to the Head of Development Management to approve the application, subject to a Section 106 legal agreement and specified conditions. The Section 106 legal agreement will secure carbon offset contributions, a late-stage review mechanism, and parking permit restrictions. Specified conditions include those regarding construction management, biodiverse roofs, contaminated land, materials, landscaping, renewable energy, fire safety, air quality, and privacy screening. The development will include provisions for disabled parking, but will otherwise be car-free. The risk of overspill parking is to be mitigated by restricting parking permits to a maximum of four, in line with the extant permission. For deliveries, there is an existing delivery bay on Upper Richmond Road, and given it's a TfL Red Route, deliveries are expected to utilize that bay.
Further details on the planning committee meeting can be found in the Public reports pack, the Agenda frontsheet, and the Addendum. The Draft Minutes for Planning Committee - 18 February 2026 and Addendum - 18 March 2026 also provide relevant information. The original application details can be found in PA25.1503 - Clifford House 424 Upper Richmond Road West SW14.
