New homes and a shop will be built on the site of an old service station in South London. The new apartment block in Norbiton will reach up to six storeys in height under the plans, which have been approved by Kingston Council.
The scheme will see 29 flats built on Coombe Road, including five affordable homes, along with space for a shop or office on the ground floor, a play area and 54 cycle parking spaces. There are no car parking spaces proposed for the site, which is a three-minute walk from Norbiton station.
The council's planning committee approved the plans from developer Zest Coombe Road Ltd on January 24. Lib Dem councillor Susan Skipwith said she supported the scheme as it "will replace a longstanding blight on the neighbourhood" which needs new homes.
Councillor Skipwith warned the building works need to be carefully managed to minimise disruption to residents and local businesses as Coombe Road has already undergone a high level of development in recent years. She said the road is "compressed" and has "very narrow pavements".
Conservative councillor Ian George added: "I think it’s a very tight site, but I think this is a really good application actually. I think it looks OK, it’s tall but not overly tall, it fits in well and for such a tight site, it’s not very easy, but I just think it’s a good scheme."
Andrew Gilbert, representing the applicant from Clive Chapman Architects, said the scheme will cause "some disruption" but this will be managed through a construction and logistics plan. He said the project team will keep residents and local businesses informed on its progress, including through regular meetings.
The council previously approved plans from Zest Coombe Road Ltd in 2020 to build 25 short-stay apartments, where people could stay for up to 90 days, and a restaurant or café on the site. But documents submitted with the latest scheme said similar apartment blocks had since been completed in Kingston, resulting in less need for that use locally.
The documents said the new scheme will provide "a broad housing mix, making a significant and positive contribution to both housing supply and the mix of housing within the borough". They added it will maximise the site's "development potential whilst not harming the amenity of neighbouring residents".
The committee unanimously approved the plans at the meeting.
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