Next Wednesday the  13th May, the Richmond Planning Committee  will meet for the final consideration of the proposal for the development of the old HSBC site in the high street. The proposal is for a part 4 story building comprising of a restaurant and 8 residential units. The development is simply too large for the site and will have significant impact on the surrounding community.

The planning application was first submitted back in April 2019 and received an outpouring of opposition from residents on Cedar Road (adjoining the site)  as well as various business and community bodies including the Teddington Society and the Teddington Action Group. Over 70 objections were raised of which very few have been addressed. The Planning Committee will now review the application and without significant opposition, may very well approve the plans for what is really an overdevelopment of this site.

As a community we are not against developing our high-street and given the current unprecedented situation, it is even more crucial that we support the vibrancy and growth of our high street.  However development without careful consideration of impact will do more harm than good. Looking at the application, which can be found here: https://www2.richmond.gov.uk/ application ref: 19/0511/FUL,  there are significant challenges with this proposal;

Briefly, the design proposal is not in keeping with housing standards as well as the aesthetic of the high street. Currently there are no four story buildings and this breaches some fundamental height considerations. The design also doesn’t clearly address a number of basic building regulations like a wheelchair accessible unit. Crucially, a few of the flats will overlook some residents’ gardens and worryingly, these will also overlook the Bright Horizons’ nursery gardens. As a parent with children attending the nursery, this is concerning.  

This objection is not against development of the site, clearly development is necessary and welcome. The objection is to a design that makes no consideration for the current residents and its impact on the high street which is a conservation area.

We ask that you please support our objection to this proposal, as it feels like the developers have not responded to previous concerns that were submitting back in April 2019 and are opportunistically using this very unsettled period to push through a development which favours profit over the impact on the Teddington locality and its residents.