Green light for new affordable homes in Richmond as councillors overrule planning officers

Richmond councillors have overruled a recommendation by planning officers and voted for 58 affordable new homes to be built by London Square on the former Greggs Bakery site in Twickenham.
The award-winning developer has hailed the decision as “a victory for common sense” and will now build 116 new homes, with 58 affordable, in a borough where only one affordable home has been completed since May.
London Square had an earlier application turned down for the 2.7-acre brownfield site, which has been vacant since 2018, but this time saw the borough’s planning committee vote 7-2 in favour of the new scheme.
Mark Smith, group development director at London Square, said: “Last night’s decision will provide 58 new affordable homes – almost double the overall number of affordable delivered in the borough in the past year. We applaud the local ward councillors who made representations to support the scheme and are delighted that the planning committee decided to listen to the local community, rather than be led by the advice of planning officers who were concerned about a loss of unviable industrial land. It is a victory for common sense.”
“Planning policy is a snapshot in time and dates very quickly. The protection of industrial land post-pandemic in a residential neighbourhood is no longer appropriate for this site in a borough which has the highest proportion in London of home working – 58.75%.  We look forward to delivering a new chapter for the site with a beautifully designed scheme.”
London Square has a strong track record of delivery in the London Borough of Richmond. It undertook the award-winning conversion and restoration of the Grade II listed Star and Garter Building and Ancaster House on Richmond Hill, the former home of The Royal Star & Garter Homes charity. The sale of the building to London Square enabled the charity to establish purpose-built residential centres for former servicemen and women.
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