The meeting will include a report on planning applications made in the borough, as well as information about recent decisions, the closure of investigation files, closed appeals, and proposed tree preservation orders.

Bright Horizons Battersea Day Nursery and Pre-School

The committee will be asked to make a decision on a planning application to demolish the existing nursery building at Bright Horizons Battersea Day Nursery and Pre-School at 18 Latchmere Road, and to erect a replacement nursery building and a block of 9 flats.

The application has been made by Bright Horizons Family Solutions Limited, the UK’s largest childcare provider, who operate around 300 nurseries in the UK. The existing building is single-storey with a gross internal area (GIA) of approximately 400 square metres. The new building would be partly two and partly three storeys, and would have a GIA of approximately 455 square metres. The new building would be able to accommodate up to 78 children, compared to the 79 children that could be accommodated in the existing building.

The applicant (Bright Horizons Family Solutions Limited) has a portfolio of circa 300-day nurseries in the UK and have outlined that there is a dedicated budget each year for ongoing maintenance as well as a dedicated facility management and capital team responsible for the planning and undertaking the maintenance of sites.

The proposed residential block would be a three storey building with a basement level, containing 3 one-bed flats, 5 two-bed flats, and 1 three-bed flat. All of the flats would meet the Nationally Described Space Standard, though the committee report notes that 5 of the 9 flats would have external amenity spaces that fall short of the 10 square metre minimum required by Policy LP27 of the Wandsworth Local Plan.

The report pack states that the development is in Flood Zone 3a, which means there is a high probability of flooding.

The application site is located within Flood zone 3a, and as the proposed development is larger than 250sq.m a sequential test is generally required in line with national and local policy.

Because the development is located within 400 metres of the Clapham Junction and York Road/Winstanley Regeneration Area, the applicant is not required to carry out a sequential test to prove they could not have developed on a site with a lower risk of flooding. Instead the applicant has carried out an Exceptions Test, which argues that the benefits of the development outweigh the flood risk.

The submitted Flood Risk Assessment outlines that the proposed development would provide improved education facilities which are considered to provide significant socio-economic benefits the local community and help address the demand for pre-school places in the area.

Because the building contains a basement, the applicant has been asked to ensure that no bedrooms are located in the basement, and that internal access is provided between the basement and the ground floor to provide a safe refuge from flooding for each flat.

The development will achieve a 62% reduction in CO2 emissions over current building regulations by implementing a number of sustainable building practices, including the use of an Air Source Heat Pump and Photovoltaic Solar Panels. The report states that the applicant will aim to achieve a BREEAM rating of ‘Outstanding’ but has demonstrated that it is not currently achievable due to the site’s limitations.

given location and constraints of the development site, which preclude a number of credits form being targeted such as credits available for providing electric car charging points and car sharing spaces which cannot be applied given the policy preferred car-free nature of the scheme

The development will be car-free, in line with Policy T6 of the London Plan, and will not therefore result in any new parking permits being issued to future residents.

The council received 24 objections to the application during their initial consultation, and 10 during their re-consultation. Objections raised included noise and disruption during construction, overlooking, loss of light, the impact on local traffic and parking, the suitability of the proposed design and the lack of any affordable housing. During the re-consultation 1 neighbour wrote in support of the development.

The report pack contains a recommendation that the committee approve the planning application subject to 33 conditions. These conditions include a requirement for the day nursery element of the development to be constructed and weatherproofed before more than four of the new flats are occupied.

Prior to first occupation of no more than four (4) of the residential units within Phase 2, hereby approved, the Class E(f) day nursery, indicated as Phase 3 within Phasing Plan No.1861-0350 P-01 dated 09/09/2024, shall be constructed to the approved three storey height level and weather proofed through the installation of all windows and the roof.

Garages and Parking Spaces West of 57 to 84, Gideon Road

The committee will be asked to make a decision on a planning application for the development of 52 new homes at Garages and Parking Spaces West of 57 to 84, Gideon Road in Battersea.

The application has been made by PA Housing and Red Loft, a property development company specialising in rooftop developments. The development will provide 39 homes for social rent, and 13 for shared ownership. It will contain 24 one-bedroom, 21 two-bedroom, and 7 three-bedroom properties.

The development will be car-free in line with Policy T6 of the London Plan.

Policy T6.1 states that “car-free development (no on-site parking) should be the starting point for all development proposals in places that are (or are planned to be) well-connected by public transport”

The development will be built across three blocks:

• Block A, containing 20 homes across four storeys
• Block B, containing 16 homes across four storeys
• Block C, containing 16 homes across five storeys

Block C will be located within the Battersea Conservation Area, and has therefore been designed to reflect the character of the conservation area, using red stock brickwork, recessed windows and Juliette balconies. It will have a green roof, and solar panels on its roof.

Whilst Block C would be located within the CA, the design rationale is to reflect and respect the existing character of the CA by echoing the use of red stock brickwork, detailing such as brick soldier courses and recessed windows and Juliet balconies, as well as the use of similar roof form and pitches to those found on the existing adjacent buildings along Gideon Road.

The other blocks will be located outside of the conservation area, and will therefore use a more contemporary design.

In contrast, the external design of Blocks A and B have taken a more contemporary approach to their overall design, given their location outside of the CA. The proposed designs for these two blocks have sought to take cues from elements of the existing adjacent buildings fronting Gideon Road, such as the use of dark red/brown stock brickwork as well as introducing a more modern approach to the overall fenestration by incorporating vertical strip windows.

The council received 18 objections to the development during their consultation. The reasons for these objections included the overdevelopment of the site, the loss of existing trees, and the proposed design and materials.

The report pack contains a recommendation that the committee approve the application subject to 23 conditions.

4 Wimbledon Park Road

The committee will be asked to decide on an application to demolish an existing detached property at 4 Wimbledon Park Road in Putney, and to build a replacement house.

The application was made by Weston Homes. The proposed new building would be a 5-bedroom house arranged over three storeys. Its front and rear elevations would both have a gable end, and there would be dormers in its roof.

The proposed house would be 10.3 metres in height, which is 2 metres taller than the existing house on the site. The council received 9 objections to the application, and 1 petition signed by 12 people. The objections related to the size and scale of the proposed development, and the potential loss of trees.

The proposed new dwelling would be of a substantially larger scale and massing (approx. 281sqm GIA) and height (10.3m to highest point of front roof) when compared to the existing house on site (125sqm GIA, 8.3m to highest ridge height).

The applicant proposes to remove 3 Sycamore trees from the site, and to plant a number of new trees to compensate. However, the council’s Tree Officer objected to the removal of the Sycamores, on the grounds that they form a group with several trees subject to a Tree Preservation Order on an adjacent site.

The report pack contains a recommendation that the committee grant planning permission for the application, subject to 16 conditions.

Tree Preservation Orders

The committee will be asked to confirm two Tree Preservation Orders:

1. TPO 487/2024 – 13 Spencer Road, Wandsworth Common
2. TPO 488/2024 – 166 Wimbledon Park Road, Southfields

TPO 487/2024 relates to a Chusan Palm in the front garden of 13 Spencer Road. A planning application (2024/0457) was submitted to the council that included the removal of the tree, and the council therefore made the TPO to protect the tree. No objections to the TPO were received, though a new planning application (2024/2830) has been submitted for the removal of the tree and its replacement with a Magnolia.

If these works had been done the tree would have been felled as a result and would no longer be able to contribute to the character and appearance of the street scene in this part of the Wandsworth Common Conservation Area.

TPO 488/2024 relates to a Magnolia in the front garden of 166 Wimbledon Park Road. The council made the TPO following a request to protect it. One objection was received from the owners of the house, on the grounds that the tree caused loss of sunlight to the house and was too close to the house, potentially causing damage.

The report pack contains a recommendation that the committee confirm both TPOs.