Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has approved a major scheme at a public hearing, after calling it in, and boosted the affordable housing component of the scheme to 35%, up from the original 23%.
The site, a former Homebase store next to Wandsworth Town railway station, SW18, is owned by National Grid UK Pension Scheme. DTZ Investors is the investment manager.
The mayor intervened after Wandsworth Council refused permission in April this year, owing to the height and scale of the development, and its proximity to a nearby conservation area.
The revised plans propose 17 storeys, as opposed to the original 15. The number of homes within the scheme has also been increased to 385, an uplift of 37.
The delivery of affordable homes has also been brought forward, with 55% arriving in the first phase. All of these would have been built much later under the previous plans.
The mayor has agreed a review mechanism under which the affordable housing component could increase to as much as 50% if an agreed level of progress is not made on the development within two years.
Khan said: “I’ve made it clear I am committed to increasing the delivery of genuinely affordable housing in London, especially given the pitiful legacy I inherited, and I will use my full range of planning powers to achieve this.
“This development provides a significant number of high-quality homes in a location that offers great transport links and local amenities. We have confirmed more than half of the affordable homes will be delivered up front in the first stage of construction.
“I’m also pleased we have secured a review mechanism that could increase the level of affordable housing further – and that people who live and work in the area will benefit from a significant upgrade to Wandsworth Town station.”
This is the fourth time the mayor has called in a planning application since he took office. The others are:
■ Palmerston Road, Wealdstone: 186 homes, (41% affordable – 74 homes);
■ Hale Wharf, Tottenham Hale: 505 homes (35% affordable – 177 homes); and
■ National Institute for Medical Research, Mill Hill: 460 homes (40% affordable – 185 homes).
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