WELCOME to the website of the Raynes Park and West Barnes Residents' Association, designed to inform you of current local issues and to provide a brief history of the local area and the Association. 

Please note that the Residents' Pavilion has closed down due to the Covid-19 pandemic. We are therefore currently unable to take any bookings. We’re sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.

We have also cancelled our AGM which was scheduled for 14 April 2020. We will be informing members shortly on how we shall continue to run our Association and the Committee, during the current public health restrictions.

Our members also receive "The Guide", a monthly A5-sized magazine, which is widely distributed in the locality. "The Guide" has local information, news, events, letters and advertising. For more information about advertising in "The Guide", click this link.

 STOP PRESS: Redrow Planning Application 19/P2387 for the blocks of flats at Tesco's Car Park and 265 Burlington Road was REFUSED at the Merton Planning Application Committee Meeting on 13 February 2020. The Committee voted to refuse with a significant majority.

Chairman's Blog - March 2020

REFUSAL OF REDROW PLANNING APPLICATION 

We are delighted to tell you that the application by Redrow to build 456 flats in tower blocks up to 15 stories high was REFUSED by Merton Planning Committee on 13th February. 

The proposal was to build these on the Tesco Extra Car Park site, and at 265 Burlington Road. The refusal was despite the recommendation of the Planning Officer that the scheme should be approved. The decision was by a majority vote of the Committee and after a debate of 90 minutes. 

The Council Chamber was packed with some 150 residents who all opposed the scheme. The Residents’ Association had urgently hand delivered notice of the meeting to 600 of the nearest properties.  

Three individual objectors spoke in opposition for 3 minutes each, as did three of our Councillors, two from the West Barnes Ward, and one from the Raynes Park Ward. The representative from Redrow was allowed 9 minutes to reply. 

The Residents’ Association had also e-mailed all the members of the Committee our extensive and detailed planning objections, -as set out in the February edition of The Guide - in advance of the meeting.  These were picked up by the various speakers in opposition. 

Grounds of Refusal

The grounds of the refusal were on strict planning criteria and cited the various sections of Merton’s design policies, principally the excessive massing and an imbalance in the housing mix. The proposed accommodation was mainly in one and two- bedroom apartments, whereas Merton’s housing needs were for up to a third of three- bedroom units for families in new developments. 

Much of the debate centred on concerns that the proposed development was too high, being in tower blocks 7 to 15 stories tall, and that this was totally out of keeping with the suburban housing around it. Such tall buildings should only be placed in town centres. 

The Design Review Panel

This Panel, (which is an independent body mostly composed of architects and town planners who provide advice and comments on planning  applications to the Council} rejected the design at the pre-application stage, on grounds of height, design, and density. The design would create wind tunnels, and there was a lack of play space and greenery. .We understand some changes to the design were made but that the full application (as presented to the Planning Applications Committee) was NOT referred back to the Panel . We wonder why particularly in view of the adverse comments made by the Panel about the Pre- application proposals! 

Public transport from the area was inadequate, and only 220 car parking spaces were provided. Burlington Road was already at a standstill for much of the day, given the proximity of the West Barnes level crossing. This volume of new cars would have meant the introduction of CPZ’s in the surrounding streets. The proposals should have included the widening of West Barnes Lane for pedestrians and traffic. 

The money provided for schools, and medical services, was totally inadequate for the number of new residents proposed, particularly given that 40% of the flats were designated as “affordable” accommodation. 

The proposals were contrary to the recently adopted climate change policy of the Council. We calculated that the offset needed to make them carbon neutral would have meant planting a million new trees! 

There was much relief on the night at the decision, but it is still open to Redrow to appeal it to the Planning Inspectorate. If they do, then, of course, we will oppose it vigorously. 

We have always stated that we are not opposed to housing on this site, given the housing needs of Merton.  We are not opposed to smaller flatted developments there up to 4 or 5 stories in a better design. 

We told Redrow 18 months ago that this is what they should be proposing, and it is a great pity that they did not listen then. We hope that they will not waste further time in appealing, but instead talk to the local residents, and discuss what is acceptable on this site. 

Ideally, we would hope that the site, including the Tesco store, should be developed, with a new store being incorporated into the housing design. This should include greenery and play facilities, and more provision for local schools as well facilities for say a new GP Surgery. 

John Elvidge

Notice of AGM - 14/04/2020

NOTICE OF MEETING THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 

of the Raynes Park & West Barnes Residents’ Association 

will be held at 

Raynes Park Library Meeting Rooms (via side entrance, in Aston Road, SW20 8BE) 

On Tuesday, 14th April at 7.30 p.m.

AGENDA 

1,    Apologies for Absence

2.    Chairman’s Report on the Work of the Association during 2019/20

3.    Treasurer’s Report

4.    Election of Officers and Committee

Break for Refreshments

5.    Guest Speakers

6.    Updates on current Planning Matters

7.    Residents’ Forum and Any Other Business

Please bring a copy of ‘The Guide’ with you to verify membership 

The association invites any member who wishes to join the committee or nominate another member(s) as a candidate for consideration, to contact our Hons Secretary, Clare Townsend, by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by 31st March 2020.