Kingston Council has given the green light for the demolition of 79 Penrhyn Road to pave the way for mixed-use development.
The proposed building will include 331 square meters of commercial space on the ground floor, as well as 10 residential flats and two three-bedroom apartments.
Councillor Roger Hayes, vice-chair of the planning committee, expressed enthusiasm for the new design. He said: “I actually quite like the Art Deco-esque villa style of the building, and I think it will look quite good in that setting.”
Local resident, Alan Lee, also supported the project. He said: “It’s currently a tyre and exhaust business with a car park and the proposal will make a great sustainable development.”
The building will be car-free, featuring cycle parking and a blue badge parking space, without any general parking for residents.
Michael Katchelenga, another resident, voiced his concerns about this, and said: “Cars are a necessity for some workers. You can have a block of flats with a car park below the building.”
An affordable housing contribution of £63,000 has been agreed upon instead of affordable housing to be provided on-site.
Councillor James Giles was impressed with the design as he said: ‘I’m just really amazed that you can get 12 flats into such a small area really, and they’re not tiny flats, so I think it’s a really impressive design.”
This redevelopment will also include sustainable features such as solar panels and air-source heat pumps which aim to reduce carbon emissions by 67%.
Despite these positive aspects, objections were raised about increased traffic, waste collection logistics and noise disturbances caused during the construction.
Councillor Hayes dismissed concerns about traffic and said: “I don’t agree that this development will be the reason traffic increases.”
He added: “It’s already a high-traffic area because of where it is, and I don’t believe this will make it significantly worse.”
The building’s height and massing also drew criticism, however the planning committee deemed the proposal acceptable and recommended its approval.
Councillor Hayes justified the decision and said: “I don’t have, based on the evidence I have in front of me, any reasons to turn this application down.”
