KINGSTON AND NORTH KINGSTON NEIGHBOURHOOD

Conservation Areas Advisory Committee

PLANNING APPLICATION COMMENT FORM DATE: 12 November 2025

N/A

RBK ref: 25/02541/FUL

Address: Middle Mill Halls Of Residence Portland Road Kingston Upon Thames KT1 2SJ Planning Officer: To Be Allocated

Description of proposed works: Demolition of existing student residential blocks at Middle Mill (Block A and Blocks G-L), and erection of a new 5-storey purpose-built teaching building (Use Class F1) for Kingston University with ground floor cafe and gallery space, associated access, blue-badge parking, landscaping and ancillary development.

APPRAISAL

By full committee on …… 12 November 2025 …… with …… 9 …… members present

Issued on 28 Nov 2025

1. Positive support		2. No objection
3. Objection	X	4. Objection unless revised as below
5. No comment/neutral		6. Lack of detail
7. Decision already issued

Reason for objection:

Objection.

We have reviewed the applicant’s DAS, Townscape & Visual Impact Assessment (TVIA) & Verified Views & object strongly to this application on grounds of the excessive scale & bulk of the proposed new building & its adverse impact on local heritage & townscape.

Height, Scale & Massing

Conservation Area statute, policy & guidance states that development must be subordinate, respect the existing grain & not dominate key views. But the excessive height & bulk of this proposed new 30m tall building would diminish the character & appearance of the two adjoining conservation areas & area of special character & fail the statutory duty in S72 of the Planning (Listed Buildings & Conservation Areas) Act 1990 to preserve & enhance local character. It would also breach Kingston’s policies BE14 & KTC15 in what is a predominantly two storey residential neighbourhood & riverside (Hogsmill) setting.

This application is effectively for a tall building on a site which has not been designated as suitable for such, which is in conflict with the London Plan policy D9(B3) & Kingston Tall Buildings strategy. No ‘exceptional justification’ is given for this height contrary to Kingston policy BE14 nor would it be tempered by architectural quality. In particular, the uncompromising saw tooth roof design at 90 feet high would intrude on the sky line for miles around & fail to blend with the prevailing typology of the area. The proposed plans provide no adequate step-down in built form towards the adjacent low rise residential properties in conflict with the London Plan policy D9(C1)(a)(iii).

Townscape & Visual Impact

We have reviewed the TVIA prepared by Bidwells & Verified Views by Hayes Davidson which clearly demonstrate that the new building would dominate key views from within & around the Grove Crescent & Fairfield/ Knights Park CAs eg Bloomsfield (sic) Road, Mill Street, Chapel Mill, Fairfield South, & would cause less than substantial harm to the character & appearance of these designated assets contrary to the protections in S66 & 72 of the 1990 Act, the London Plan policy D9(d) & Kingston policies CS8 & DM12 & Tall Buildings strategy.

The applicant has failed to show that this level of harm would be outweighed by public benefit as required by paras 199-202 of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF).

Listed Buildings

The applicant’s Heritage Statement & Verified Views fail to convince that the new building would not diminish the visual prominence & historic legibility of the nearby grade 2 listed Old Mill House & St John’s Church in breach of S66(1) of the 1990 Act.

We believe insufficient weight has been given in this application to conservation matters generally, contrary to para 199-200 of the NPPF. The applicant’s attempted architectural justification, including references to historical industrial character, fails to offset the evident harm. The application therefore conflicts with the London Plan policy D9(d) & wider national heritage policies.

Conclusion

For the reasons set out above, we object strongly to this application which should not be supported in its current form.