Questions answered in this section:

• How does the height of the blocks fit within Kingston’s tall building strategy?
• How can we understand the true height of the blocks?
• Why is the massing of height in the north rather than stepping up to middle of development?
• What is the impact of overshadowing on the woodland and brook?
• How will the scheme respect local character and residents’ wellbeing?
• Are you consulting with Secure by Design as part of your designs?

The development has been assessed against London Plan Policy and RB Kingston’s local Development Plan. While RB Kingston’s local plan doesn’t allocate the site for tall buildings, this pre-dates the London Plan. A tall buildings assessment under London Plan Policy concludes that it is suitable given the existing gas holders reach 59m, 49m, and 26m in height and is in a sustainable location. The proposed buildings range from 8 to 16 storeys, with taller blocks placed to the north near Motspur Park Station to provide wayfinding from the station and reduce impact toward Beverley Brook. Visual assessments are contained within the planning application from various viewpoints in Kingston, Merton, and Sutton to outline the proposed changes to the townscape. Overshadowing analysis confirms no material impact on the Beverley Brook or SINC. The architecture maintains distinct identities across blocks while forming a coherent family of buildings. Secure by Design has been considered as part of pre-application engagement and feedback integrated to ensure safety and wellbeing for residents.

The proposal has been refined in consultation with RB Kingston and Design South East Design Review Panel to prioritise local character and wellbeing, with over 1.6 acres of new public realm, an improved biodiversity corridor along the Beverley Brook, and enhanced connections to surrounding green space. The development replaces redundant infrastructure with high-quality housing, contributing to local and national housing needs while also improving biodiversity.

Questions answered in this section:

• What assurances are there for wildlife and habitats, especially regarding Beverley Brook?
• How will changes to the waterway through the site affect flooding risk for upstream and downstream residents?
• For Beverley Brook it was stated there would be improvements. Please describe remedial actions to be taken during the multi-year demolition and build.
• How will changes to water management improve flood resilience?
• How does the scheme enhance biodiversity and the local environment?

An Ecological Impact and Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) Assessment has been undertaken, and the site will achieve a 34% BNG score, retaining high value woodland habitats and introducing over 200 new trees and native hedgerows. Development is concentrated on previously hardstanding areas to minimise ecological disruption. The Beverley Brook embankment will be regraded in the centre of the site, adjacent to the residential blocks. Planting includes a mixture of species that will strengthen the Brook as a natural water corridor within the wider area. These improvements have been considered in the flood risk assessment in consultation with the Environment Agency.

A detailed flood risk model has been developed in consultation with the Environment Agency, confirming no flooding within the main development area and no increase in risk upstream or downstream. Surface water discharge from the site into Beverley Brook achieves a 50% betterment compared to existing. During construction, Beverley Brook will be protected through a monitored Construction Environmental Management Plan, ensuring compliance with environmental standards and RB Kingston’s requirements.

Questions answered in this section:

• What treatment of the gasholder ground/soil will be necessary to make it safe for redevelopment and occupation?
• What are the proposed control measures to control and monitor the construction process?

A preliminary ground contamination assessment forms part of the planning submission. Further investigations will be undertaken in previously inaccessible areas beneath the gasholders. Findings will inform a detailed Remediation Strategy agreed with RB Kingston, setting out remediation, monitoring, and verification protocols. Contaminated materials will be removed, treated, or capped in accordance with best practice to prevent migration into waterways or airborne dispersal.

During works, strict environmental controls will be implemented under a Construction Environmental Management Plan, including pollution prevention through sealed and bunded storage, soil management, and continuous monitoring. Verification reports will confirm compliance before occupation. In addition, community liaison groups will be set up to ensure frequent and clear updates are provided to residents on an ongoing basis.

Questions answered in this section:

• During construction, how will residents be protected from dust and airborne pollutants, especially near the school on Green Lane?
• Will there be 32 HGV deliveries daily, 4 per hour for Motspur Park?
• What are the construction access arrangements at Motspur Park, particularly near the level crossing?

Construction activities will follow a detailed Construction Environmental Management Plan and Dust Management Plan approved by RB Kingston. These will set out controls for dust suppression, odour, and emissions, including soil dampening, screening, and odour management procedures. Large vehicle movements will be restricted outside of school drop-off and pick-up times to safeguard pupils at Green Lane School. A community liaison group will provide regular updates to residents.

Traffic during demolition will use a one-way system entering from the north and exiting from the south, avoiding the level crossing. Banksmen will manage vehicle movements, and deliveries will average 32 HGVs per day, equating to roughly four per hour within standard construction hours.

Questions answered in this section:

• Why has the application not been lodged in Sutton, given traffic will be via Worcester Park?
• How will parking be managed in surrounding areas like Green Lane and The Old Malden Estate?
• Is the car club only for new residents?
• How will deliveries and services be managed for the site?
• Can you please share your rationale for access to Marina Avenue?
• Can you please explain the traffic flow system for the exit road planned behind houses in Kingshill Avenue?

The Motspur Gas Holders site does not require a planning application to be submitted to LB Sutton, as the site does not lie within the borough boundary. However, Berkeley Homes has engaged with Sutton Council officers through pre-application on transport and access matters. The development has been designed to minimise vehicle generation, with trip analysis confirming only a negligible increase in traffic volumes during peak periods. Vehicular access will be from the south via Kingshill Avenue through a newly designed priority junction with pedestrian priority and one-way vehicle priority measures to slow traffic and maintain safety. A secondary access for pedestrians and cyclists via Marina Avenue has been introduced to improve permeability, safety, and choice of walking and cycling routes, directly responding to pre-application feedback to enhance local connectivity.

Parking has been deliberately limited to encourage sustainable travel and reduce congestion. A total of 89 on-site parking spaces are provided, in line with planning policy, alongside two car club spaces. Car club vehicles will be available for both new and existing residents, supporting the Mayor’s target for 80% of trips in London to be made by public transport, walking, or cycling by 2041. The mix of predominantly one and two bedroom homes attracts residents with lower car ownership levels, and additional incentives such as cycle parking, e-cycle hire access, and travel vouchers further encourage non-car travel by new residents.

The Lambeth Parking Methodology outlines that people are not likely to park more than 200 metres from their homes. Given the walking distance from the residential blocks to Green Lane is over 400m, overspill parking is considered highly unlikely onto neighbouring areas. Although a Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ) was explored to formalise on-street controls, this was not supported locally. Local council’s have the option to revisit this should community views change.

Deliveries and servicing will be managed by an estate management team at the development to avoid disruption to surrounding streets and is set out in the Delivery and Servicing Plan within the application.

Questions answered in this section:

• Have the implications on rail travel from Motspur Park train station been fully explored?
• Is there any assurance that there is sufficient capacity on local transport services?

The Transport Assessment submitted with the application includes an analysis of anticipated train trips during the AM and PM peaks, in consideration of the new development. A trip generation assessment indicates that the development is not expected to result in a significant increase in public transport trips when distributed across the five trains per hour in the morning peak from Motspur Park Station. South Western Rail and Transport for London will review these results to confirm whether capacity issues are likely, and any required community contributions will be determined based on their advice.

Capacity on the rail network is set to improve as new trains are gradually phased in by South Western Rail. These new trains provide approximately 25% additional capacity, and once fully integrated, residents are expected to experience a noticeable improvement in overall train service capacity.

Questions answered in this section:

• Are commercial shops or cafés planned for site?
• How many people will live there?
• Is there any assurance that there are sufficient local schools and GP places to accommodate new residents?

The proposed development does not include commercial units such as shops or cafés. Residential facilities such as a gym and workspace will be provided for future residents, along with new public open space and play amenity that will be available to both existing and new residents.

The total number of new residents has been calculated using the GLA Population Yield Calculator and is projected to be 1,288 people, predominately dominated by 75% working-age adults and remainder children 17 and under.

Socio-economic assessments submitted with the planning application indicate that local schools and GP practices can accommodate the needs of the development at present. CIL contributions will also be considered if upgrades to local infrastructure services are necessary.