Site History

View of buildings under construction overlooking Bushy Park - 8th Feb 2008

Richmond Council's Planning Office

Richmond Council's Planning Office recommended that Linden Homes original application, filed in August 2004, be rejected. The very comprehensive report can be viewed here.

Council reference: 04/2579/FUL (245kb)

The Planning Office's report on Linden's second application, filed in July 2005, can be viewed here. Council reference: 05/2114/FUL

A new application (07/2142/FUL) was filed on the 19th June 2007. This will add to the previous approved application another 40 apartments (17 of which are three-bedroom), bringing the total to 238; an increase in the height of the central block from four to six storeys; filling in gaps between four buildings to create two buildings stretching the width of the site; and an increase in the height of these two buildings from four to five storeys.

The Former Gas Works

The site is 2.07 hectares (5.12 acres) and was occupied by a gasworks between 1875 and 1975. Gas production on the site continued into the 1950s. The gasworks supplied Hampton, Teddington and E&W Molesey. During the Victorian era it was expanded to supply Hanworth and Feltham as well. Further major expansion took place in 1931. During WWII gasholder 3 was bombed in 1945 by a V2 rocket (possibly intended for the US base in Bushy Park). The gasworks closed in 1959 but gasholders 3 (rebuilt) and 4 remained in use until 1994.

The site was subsequently owned by Seeboard and used as a depot, and later for offices and a builders yard. Pollution from the gas works means the land contains hot spots heavily contaminated with arsenic, cyanide, phenols, benzene derivatives, toluene, and petroleum-related compounds TPH and BTEX.

The site lies in a predominantly residential area and is enclosed on three sides by residential properties. Forming the northern boundary of the site is a railway line, which provides a direct service to Waterloo from Hampton Wick Station. Opposite the site lies Bushy Park, a Grade 1 Listed Royal Park that lies within a Conservation Area.

View of disused SERCO building (Alderney House) taken from Bushy Park - 23 Jan 2005

Sandy Lane is residential in both directions, predominantly 2 and 3 storey detached and semi-detached houses. The houses opposite the site across Bushy Park Road are 2 storeys plus rooms in the pitched roofspace and were developed on what was also part of the gasworks site by the appellant, Linden Homes, under the reference 96/0235/FUL. To the south-east of the site is a terrace of 3 storey houses with integral garages, before the junction with Cedars Road where the houses are typically large 2 storey detached and semi detached. The rear gardens of Cedar Road back onto the south-eastern boundary, where there is significant screening by trees. On the opposite side of the railway, to the north-east, are 2 storey Victorian houses in School House Lane, the rear gardens of which back onto the railway.

In July 1966 planning permission was granted for a depot, workshops, stores, vehicle repair, washing and parking facilities and storage bins (Application 66/597).

In September 1972 outline planning permission was granted for a 3 storey office block comprising 29,304 sq ft for use by Seeboard (72/7117). In May 1974 permission was refused for the erection of a 4 storey office building (73/2844). In November 1975 details of the 3 storey office building originally approved in 1972 (75/364) were approved.

In February 1984 planning permission was granted for the construction of a new perimeter wall, 50 car parking spaces and landscaping (83/992).

In July 1997 planning permission was granted for the change of use of the former vehicle depot site to a timber, builders and plumbers merchants with ancillary service mall and offices (97/0824).

In July 2004 Linden submitted duplicate planning applications for the site’s redevelopment for 229 residential apartments (40% affordable), crèche, nursing home, a retail facility that could be used as a café/restaurant, and 18 office units (04/2579/FUL and 04/2583/FUL).

View of first building under construction taken from Bushy Park - 19th Sept 2007

At the end of the statutory 16 week period, Linden Homes lodged an appeal against non-determination of one of the applications (04/2579/FUL). A report on the appealed application was considered by the Council’s Planning Committee on 31 March 2005. The Committee decided that the application would have been refused, had an appeal against non-determination not been submitted.

A new application was submitted on 15th July 2005 for an office unit, a crèche, a nursing home and 198 flats, 40% affordable (05/2114FUL). A duplicate application for the above proposal was submitted on the same day (05/2113/FUL).

The two applications were considered by the Planning Committee on 24 November 2005. The planning officer recommended refusal, the most important grounds being the absence of a satisfactory sewage plan and the applicant’s refusal to pay a £1.2 million education contribution wanted by the Council. However, just before the meeting, Thames Water came up with a ‘solution’ for the sewage (pump it to the sewer at the intersection of Bushy Park and Wick Roads) and Linden agreed to pay the full education contribution. The Committee approved application 05/2113/FUL, but refused application 05/2114/FUL, which had been appealed for non-determination.

The Teddington Society and SLSAG decided to support the application, with reservations, because they thought it unlikely that there would be a better proposal for the site. Other groups, such as the Friends of Bushy and Home Parks, continued to oppose it due to its impact on Bushy Park, although they acknowledged that it was much better than the original scheme. Linden assured SLSAG that, if the application were approved, they would build that scheme and not come back looking for more.

Linden pursued its appeal in order to challenge the education contribution. A Planning Inquiry was held in February 2006, and the Planning Officer found for Linden. In May 2006, the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government upheld the appeal and decided Linden should pay £0.7 million. Planning application 05/2114/FUL had received final approval.