Sainsbury’s will resubmit plans for a £25m housing scheme above its store on Manor Road, Richmond, next month.
Mayor of London Ken Livingstone told Richmond council he would reject the scheme unless half of the homes in the development were affordable for low-income and key workers.
The mayor said that, if necessary, the scheme should be higher than seven storeys.
The existing scheme includes 169 homes, 40% of which would be affordable, and adds a further 10,000 sq ft (929 sq m) onto the store.
The development is one of the few schemes putting housing on top of existing supermarkets.
Although supermarket chains have said that such developments were “problematic”, the government has said building above supermarkets could unlock the potential for 20,000 London flats.
References: EGi News 06/05/03
