Kingston residents have raised objections including concerns about traffic and the effects on existing housing.
Some drivers believe more congestion will form following the layout alterations planned for Richmond Road and 12-50 Kingsgate Road as part of the residential development.
Kingston resident David Jeb said: “During the recent closure of Kingsgate Road, there was traffic chaos, with huge tailbacks both north and south bound. Traffic could not get into or out of Kingston on the A307.”
He added: “Throughout the UK there are already thousands of apartment blocks built adjacent to busy roads and Kingsgate Road is a very busy road, the closure of each would be a profound error with chronic detrimental consequences.”
The application was originally submitted to Kingston Council in 2019, underlining the closure of Canbury Place Car Park and the surrounding areas, including layout alterations to Richmond Road and 12-50 Kingsgate Road.
The plans looked at building two apartment blocks with 19 storeys and 389 residential units, which has since been reduced to 15 storeys and 265 units.
The amount of affordable housing has increased from 10% to 15% for key workers within the borough.
But residents living in neighbouring buildings have argued they will be affected by the height of the planned development.
Queens House resident David Parker said: “These would be twice the size of Queens House. The blocks will capture 75% of available sunlight. It’s all at Queen’s House expense and it’s casting our side of the building into shadow.”
Other Highway alternations include:
- Closing Kingsgate Road and replacing it with a shared footway for pedestrians for east-west connections
- Closing Canbury Place Car Park which offers 106 parking spaces
- Moving the Kingsgate Road bus stop to Sopwith Way
- Changes to the A308 Sopwith Way/A307 Richmond Road Junction
- Removing the Richmond Road Northbound contra-flow cycle lane
- Introducing a new northbound lane on the A307 Richmond Road from Sopwith Way junction to Kingsgate Road junction
- Re-timing of signal controls
How the changes would affect cyclists has also been raised as an issue.
The removal of Richmond Road Northbound contra-flow cycle lane means putting cyclists at risk, with some opposed to this particular road layout change.
Kingston resident and Transport Planning Specialist, Atholl Noon, has said the alterations to Richmond Road and the introduction of two-way traffic will create a number of narrow high conflict areas, particularly between pedestrians and cyclists.
Jon Fray, a Kingston Cycling Campaign spokesperson, said: “The developers propose to send northbound cyclists around the back of the Richmond Road shops in an area that will not be overlooked. This will be inconvenient at all times but potentially dangerous when it’s dark.”
However, the site of residential units will be built 200m away from Kingston Rail Station with accessible bus routes available.
Public transport alternatives will also be accessible to the residents of the new development, including one stop on Kingsgate Road, Richmond Road, Cromwell Road Bus station and Fairfield Bus Station.
Kingston Council is yet to approve the amended plans. The planning application is available here.
