A sports and housing-led masterplan has been validated with the London Borough of Merton, seeking planning outline planning permission for the derelict brownfield site. The application is submitted in outline but includes Means of Access, Landscaping, Layout, and Scale. Only external appearance is reserved for future consideration.
The site is 8.5 hectares of predominantly open space north of Turle Road. Historically it was the private sports ground of National Westminster Bank. That use ceased in 1998. Permission was granted in 1997 for a mixed-use residential and sports scheme, with the residential element of the site being developed and is now 41 to 125 Turle Road.
Until 2007, a small part of the site accommodated 10 five-a-side football pitches, granted under the 1997 permission, and was privately operated by Powerleague, who vacated due to commercial viability issues.
The site is located in the London Borough of Merton in south London, bordering the Borough of Croydon to the east and the Borough of Lambeth to the north. Located a short walk from London Road (High Street) to the east, Norbury Railway Station is a 10-minute walk
from the Site entrance on Turle Road.
The former sports courts and pitches are overgrown and not usable. The site is fenced and not currently accessible at the request of the Council following traveller invasions, anti-social behaviour, and an arson attack.
Proposals for a sports-led regeneration of the site to provide a sports pavilion, indoor sports hall, 3 x covered padel courts, and 2 x hockey pitches. A cricket green which is large enough for 2 x junior football pitches and would act as a central village green. The existing bowls pitch and clubhouse are retained. The proposal also includes residential homes and a care home, with associated green infrastructure.
The scheme also provides 288 new homes, including 150 houses (2-bed, 3-bed and 4-bed homes) and 138 apartments (1-bed and 2-bed homes). Of these 288 homes, 106 will be affordable homes this includes 55 houses, comprising 37% of total units and 35% of all
habitable rooms.
Where terrace houses are provided within the site, the scheme provides a total of 150 houses with the following mix; 21 two-bed houses, 71 three-bed houses; and 58 four-bed houses.
A two to three storey circa 84-bed care home is provided on the southern edge of the site with access from Turle Road. The building is proposed within a self-contained part of the site with its communal garden which is 1,382.5 sqm. The care home element would fall within a C2 use class as would provide specialist dementia provision.
Communal amenity areas include the cricket/village green, a smaller green located on Turle Road, a linear garden, green streets, and an extension of a council-owned Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINC).
The applicant and developer are Matt 6:33 LLP which has appointed Formation Architects to produce design and access proposals for the site at the currently outlined masterplan stage. This will be subject to further reserved matters applications in the future.
In accordance with the London Plan parking standards, a total of 135 residential parking spaces are provided for the houses, with 14 blue badge parking spaces provided for the flats. A Car Club is proposed as part of the development, with three car club parking spaces provided. 24 car parking spaces are provided for the care home, with 30 spaces provided for the sports pavilion.
Other scheme features includes; a publicly accessible Local Park of over two hectares; 48% of the 288 homes being larger family sized homes of three beds or larger, a biodiversity net gain of 11.88%; urban greening factor of 0.42 exceeding the policy standard; creation of a new pedestrian and cycle route through the SINC linking to Norbury Station/ local centre as well as Community Infrastructure Levy and other obligations.
