23 homes and commercial space at 96-104 Upper Tooting Road, London SW17

“SITE DETAILS: The buildings currently occupying the application site fronting Upper Tooting Road comprise a terrace block of two and three storeys in mixed use. All properties are arranged as commercial at ground floor with residential above (5 no.units). The two-storey section (Nos. 102-104 Upper Tooting Road) has habitable roofspace with four front dormer windows and a ground floor front extension with a flat roof to the pavement edge.”

“Beyond the free-standing advertisement hoarding to the north of the site, and set back from Upper Tooting Road, is the highly decorative three-storey Grade II listed ‘The King’s Head’ public house (the PH) dating from 1896. Beyond the PH and further to the north of the site are the Grade II listed Nos 68,70,72 Upper Tooting Road, commercial/residential properties dating from the early 1700’s.”

“2019/2869: Nos. 96 - 108 Upper Tooting Road and Price Close: Demolition of existing buildings at Nos. 96-104 Upper Tooting Road and erection of a five-storey with basement mixed use residential block at the front of the site and two-storey mews houses with basement at the rear of the site.”

“It should also be noted that the same applicant, in late 2022, gained planning permission separately for a ‘mews house’ development on the workshops area to the rear of 102-104 Upper Tooting Road. Permission was granted (ref. 2022/3185 24//11/2022) for the erection of 5 x two storey (plus basement) 3-bedroom dwellinghouses that would be accessed via Holmbury Court but would also face Price Close. Pre-commencement conditions on the permission have been discharged in 2025.”

“OBJECTIONS: summarised as: • Additional disturbance from bins being collected from Price Close • Increased noise and disturbance from additional residents • Increased amount of rubbish with no detail on management • Overdevelopment/scale and massing • Out of character with the streetscene - Price Close and Upper Tooting Road • Appearance is incongruous/badly designed • Harmful to the setting of the listed pub • Price Close is a private road - Rights of way/access over…”

“As indicated, 87 signatories offered support to the application through a petition. The petition referred to the commercial and social benefits that the development would bring as well as the general visual uplift to Upper Tooting Road and Price Close that would occur through the development. The petition and its supporters also mentioned its opposition to an application at Holmbury Court (Ref.”

“The Committee noted that the application was in contravention to a number of policies and objectives as detailed within the Local Plan. With this in mind, Members sought clarity as to why the application was being presented at this time. The Area Team Manager (East Team) stated that there had been difficulties in trying to explain to the applicant the change in policy objectives in relation to the 2019 and 2023 Local Plans.”

“A number of Members voiced their frustration that many of the non-policy compliant elements of the application remained unresolved, given the need to deliver more homes within the Borough. The Area Team Manager (East Team) stated that officers had met with the applicant and communicated with them on multiple occasions to try and explain the change in policy position between the 2019 and 2023 Local Plans.”

“RESOLVED – (7 votes for refusal, with 3 abstentions) that planning permission be refused for the reasons as set out in the report, noting the additional information as set out in the late items of correspondence paper.”