Council response to our letter

Thank you for your email, I can confirm we have received and recorded your response.

Thank you for sharing an insight into your neighbourly relations on the estate. Since the first round of consultation, this has been a key point which has come through over the feedback. Please see below response sent to the residents of Eastwood South on behalf of Wandsworth Council, which addresses the points you have raised in your email below.

Dear Residents of Eastwood Estates,

Proposals at Toland Square, Eastwood South Estate.

I am writing on behalf of Wandsworth Council, in relation to your comments on the development proposals at Toland Square, Eastwood South Estate.

Firstly, we would like to acknowledge the time you have all put into voicing your concerns regarding the development proposals at Toland Square. Your letter as well as any individual feedback residents have sent in, have been recorded and passed onto the design team for consideration. 

Our proposals are currently at the pre-planning stage and are subject to planning permission being granted by the Local Planning Authority at Wandsworth Council. The project team will be sending out a newsletter at the time of the planning application submission to ensure the local community is signposted to formally comment on any planning applications should they wish to do so at the time of submission, which is targeted for Winter 2023.

The Toland Square proposals are a result of Wandsworth Council’s ‘1000 Homes Programme’. As part of this programme, there have already been several similarly sized schemes successfully completed on existing estates, where Wandsworth Council and a highly experienced contractor have worked closely with local residents and stakeholders.

As you acknowledge and mention, the borough is in desperate need for more council housing to ensure people have access to affordable housing to live and allow people to integrate into communities. Toland Square was identified as one estate which has the capacity to accommodate a small number of additional homes.

The Council recognises and values the existing residents on the estate. As such, if planning permission were to be granted, the proposed new homes on the estate would be offered to existing residents in the first instance. Those residents on the estate who live in undesirable conditions such as overcrowding, or issues of disrepair would benefit first from the new homes. More information about this ‘priority offer’ to local residents will be included in the newsletter.

In terms of the specific matters you raised in your letter, the team has reviewed and discussed these and our response to the themes raised is outlined below. 

Overarching concerns:

Overcrowding and the loss of heart of the community

The team recognises the concerns you share regarding overcrowding and the potential increase in the number of residents on the estate. A design service team were appointed previously to study the estate and confirm the estate has the capacity to deal with a small number of new homes and residents. Additionally, the design team are taking great care in ensuring there are spaces in the estate to live, play and socialise.

The proposed S2 plot has been significantly reduced in both size and height as a result of feedback from the previous rounds of consultation. The reduction of the block has unfortunately led to the loss of much-needed housing. However, the team recognises that we must strike a balance between addressing the housing waiting list, and retention of green spaces for existing residents. These existing pockets of land on the estate will create new homes for families and will help to deal with the urgent housing crisis not just within the local area but across the borough as a whole, whilst still maintaining a good level of open and green spaces on the estate, working towards maintaining the sense of community.

Additionally, the design team is working closely with a daylight and sunlight specialist to ensure that any overshadowing of neighbours falls within what is acceptable in guidelines. As well as this, the design team have carefully considered privacy issues to deliver a scheme that reduces the impact on existing residents.

Overall, the proposed development seeks to improve the quality of life/ wellbeing of residents by providing improved features such as the pedestrian pathway and improvements to the biodiversity and ecology, overall creating a more pleasant environment on the estate. 

The loss of green space and concern of disconnecting neighbourhoods

We note and recognise the concerns you share regarding the loss of green space. We understand the importance of green spaces in your neighbourhood and the team has been focussed on making available green spaces on the estate much more useable than they currently are, so the spaces are of greater quality and more likely to be used. For example, the amount of play space proposed for children will increase. As well as this, the place spaces, which are currently dilapidated and of poor quality, would be significantly improved. Overall, this would increase the use of the place space and encourage children to play in these outdoor spaces. 

In response to your comments on cycle storage units taking up green space, our proposals for cycle storage aim to encourage more sustainable methods of transport in and around the estate. The Council understands the need for appropriate storage provision to achieve increased cycle usage, improving the health and wellbeing of residents.   

In regard to the comments you raised about access to nature, the ecology proposals aim to introduce wildflowers, meadow planting, buffer planting and sensory style planting.  Additionally, the ecology proposals would provide aesthetically pleasing spaces for residents to boost mood and morale. These ecology proposals aim to encourage more connections between children and nature and encourage habitat creation in the estate.  

Lack of visibility and an unsafe environment

Following on from your comments regarding a lack of visibility on the estate, we would like to again note that overall, these proposals are about creating a balance between the desperately needed housing as well as providing green spaces, cycle storage and parking as part of the proposals. The revised S2 building, which is now a linear building rather than the proposed ‘U’ shape has also improved visibility on the estate.

We recognise your concerns regarding green space views, the intention is the enhanced planting and shrub proposed around plot S2 would provide pleasing views for existing residents.

You have raised concerns with parents/ careers not being able to watch children play outside. Please do note that both play spaces have been located as such to allow a good level of visibility to make sure the safety of children is prioritised in these spaces.   

We note your concerns regarding neighbouring properties and a loss of privacy. The design of the buildings has been carefully worked up to ensure sufficient distances from the existing blocks to minimise any impacts of overlooking and any potential loss of privacy. 

Key Principles:

The below section refers to the comments raised under the ‘key principles’ and ‘key benefits’ section of your letter. Overall, our intention is not to cause offence, rather it is our approach to include guiding design principles to steer our development proposals and delivery of key benefits. Please see further comments below. 

Create a healthy and happy community

The team recognises the existing value of neighbourly relations in the estate from the first round of consultation. The proposals do not intend to breakdown relationships or cause unhappiness for existing residents. Instead, the proposals aim to vastly improve the estate as a whole to the benefit of all residents.

The proposed new community centre would be re-located and updated into a modern facility for the residents of the estate to enjoy and use to keep connected with neighbours. The re-located community centre would offer a designated area for the community to come together, hold events and socialise. Overall strengthening connections in the estate. As well as a small outdoor space proposed by the re-located clubroom, there would still be green spaces outside of Andrew House and by the re-located clubroom for residents and children of the estate to exercise, organise picnics and host parties, as the space is currently used. 

Connecting neighbourhood and create a distinctive heart for the community

The proposed re-located clubroom building aims to create a hub for the community to socialise. In addition, the proposed new surfacing in the centre of the estate provides a safe pedestrian pathway and enhances connectivity to a new entrance by Roehampton Lane.

Promote a safe and secure environment

We note the concerns you have raised about providing a safe and secure environment. We would like to assure you that our team takes the safety of all residents, especially children, very seriously. The team are working closely with a Secured by Design officer, which is the official security initiative that works to improve the security of buildings and any immediate surroundings to provide safe places to live. This includes ensuring that visibility is thought about throughout the design process to create a safe environment for all, in every aspect of the design proposals. 

In response to concerns around the use of mopeds on the estate, we must ensure the path is wide enough to allow mobility scooters and wheelchairs through to ensure the area remains accessible. The pedestrian pathway would be marked with a different material to signify that it is not a road and therefore not suitable for mopeds to drive through.

Overall, the intention is that an increase in new homes and residents along with an improved estate would promote a great sense of care, maintenance, and responsibility for the estate. 

Make the most of the amenity spaces

We also note the concerns you share in your email regarding play space. In the latest proposals for Toland Square, the play space by S2 has reduced in size slightly, however this is to ensure the impacts on trees and private windows is kept to a minimum, in response to community feedback. Overall, there is an increase of proposed play space offered in the estate. 

The play spaces have been positioned to ensure children playing with the facilities are within good sight lines and visibility to protect and safeguard the children. We note the concerns you share regarding the noise. The play space by the proposed plot S2 is remaining in the space of the existing place space, therefore there would be no significant change to the impact of noise here. Additionally, a noise impact assessment will be completed to ensure the suitability of the new play space by the proposed re-located community clubroom to ensure any noise is kept to a minimum.

Through discussions with the key users of the clubroom at Toland Square, the project team has a good understanding about the current and future use of the space. The team has an acoustician on board as part of the design team who is aware of the uses of the community clubroom and the activities of the music group. The intention is for the proposed community building, as well as the other new buildings, to insulate noise much better than the existing buildings. Therefore, the team is confident that the re-located clubroom will perform much better than the existing clubroom facility in terms of sound proofing.

In reference to the location of the re-located clubroom by Cline House and Reed House, please do note that the width of plot S3 has been slightly reduced and the roof has been designed so it is lower where it is closer to Cline and Reed House. 

Increase and improve biodiversity

As mentioned above the proposals aim to aim introduce wildflower meadow planting, buffer planting and sensory style planting. 

Once the scheme is completed, service charges for ongoing maintenance of communal areas will be apportioned between existing and newly constructed homes on the estate, so essentially shared by a large number of residents. It is worth adding that we see a great deal of merit in allowing pockets of under-used grassland on the estate to be re-seeded with wildflower meadow grass to encourage greater biodiversity.  The mowing regime for wildflower areas is less frequent than that of lawn areas (wildflower in general requires mowing twice a year, plus occasional monitoring). This is still less than the regular year-round mowing for lawn areas. Infill and boundary/defensive planting species can be selected so that they will not over grow, therefore reducing the need for regular height reduction. These types of planting also have relatively little maintenance requirement, all while being of benefit to local fauna.   

Work towards a net zero carbon future

As part of the Council continued commitment and borough wide aim, following the Local Plan and national policies, improvements to the standards of new and existing housing is an essential part of tackling climate emergency issues, reducing carbon emissions and improving the well-being of our residents.

Please do refer to Council Leader Simon Hoggs’ recent statement from September 2023 (linked below).

Council sticks to climate change targets despite Government’s Net Zero U-turn – Wandsworth Borough Council

In reference to your point about more cars, we note that more cars are likely to imply more car movement and as such more noise and air pollution. However, the expected increase in the number of cars is relatively small compared to the size of the estate and the current number of cars. Our aim is that the cycle storage provisions, and landscape improvements will make it easier for residents to move around in a non-polluting way. A transport consultant is part of the team, to ensure that the proposed changes to parking and traffic are feasible.

Additionally, we will be introducing car charging bays as part of the estate wide improvements, for new and existing residents to use.

Key Benefits:

New and improved cycle parking, refuse and storage

Our intention is to provide new and improved cycle parking, refuse and storage facilities to improve the estate for existing residents. From previous feedback we learnt estate maintenance and cycle security were important issues to address. Your suggestion to reduce the number of cycle storage units has been passed to the design team.

We note the points your raised about waste management. As part of the studies by our consultants and working in conjunction with the Area team and the Waste Strategy team at Wandsworth Council, the current proposals in terms of capacity, design and locations, have been reviewed and developed to improve the amount of space available on the estate by keeping bins way from pavements. As well as this, the aim is to reduce fly tipping and overflowing waste areas. Part of the new proposals will include dedicated spaces for bulky waste items, enabling better management and collection.

Please note following your point regarding the bins shown at the end of number 1 Toland Square and the concerns shared about disturbances and smell, the design team have reviewed the bin location by the proposed plot S1 and will be moving the bin store further from the existing neighbours.

We note the concerns you raise about the proposed storage capacity. There is a limited capacity for new garages on site, but new storage sheds have been provided on a like-for-like basis according to the numbers of sheds and garages on site. The storage sheds combined with the new secure cycle hangars should provide a significant amount of storage for the existing residents.

The new storage units will be available to all residents of the estate, however, those who already have a garage or storage unit and will be losing it due the new housing, will be prioritised for initial allocation.

Improved connections within the estate

Our aim is to improve connections through small footpath connections in specific areas that will help create safe space for pedestrian access, with a new crossing point near the school drop off area. 

Improved spaces between buildings with potential for more pedestrian-friendly street section

The team have carefully considered the spacing between existing and proposed buildings and ensured there is sufficient space allocated between buildings to minimise any adverse impacts of privacy and light. 

We note your concerns regarding overlooking into number 1 Toland Square due to the proposed plot S1. Please be advised that the ground floor window is under a canopy which would protect it from being visible from above, and the upstairs windows are likely to be secondary, north facing windows.

In response to your comment about pedestrian-friendly sections, our proposals include a new crossing point and some sections of footpath have been added to create safer spaces for pedestrians on the estate. Also, we hope the addition of more secure cycle storage will encourage active travel and reduce some of the reliance on cars making the estate more pleasant for pedestrians to navigate.

Increased visibility around the estate

The proposals have been designed to ensure visibility is good throughout the estate, and the design team are working closely with a Secured by Design officer to ensure the safety of all residents on the estate. The play spaces have also been located to allow good visibility of the children playing.

Opportunity to provide improved play areas

Please do refer to the comments regarding play space as addressed above.

We note your concerns regarding increased traffic. To preserve as much green space in the estate, the number of new parking spaces has been limited to that required by policy for the new homes. In response to your point about the removal of parking spaces, please note that the parking on site is being reviewed and the design team is trying to ensure that spaces aren’t lost. While there may be spaces lost in specific areas, these will be relocated to another location if possible.

Overall, the intention is for the proposals to improve the quality of life of all residents. We must strike a balance between addressing the housing waiting list, and retention of green spaces for existing residents.

The team have always had an open and transparent approach and always encouraged all community feedback throughout all three rounds of consultation. The project team are always more than happy to talk through and clarify proposals with the community. We also provide a copy of our consultation boards online along with our contact details to ensure we are reachable to answer or clarify any queries the community may have or to run through proposals over the phone.

I hope the above provides some clarity on the concerns that you have raised. If you would like to further discuss any of the above, do feel free to get back in touch with the team.

Thank you. 

Kind regards