When I, a member, told a qualified surveyor I know in Tolworth about the Kingston Society and that it commented on planning applications, she thought it self-appointed and unnecessary as the council had members and officers to do the job.

Any doubts I shared are compounded by the society’s latest newsletter.

I live on the bypass well within half a mile of two big prospective developments.

Tolworth Girls’ School and its development partner Gleeson want to rebuild the school with housing to pay for it and more.

The society supports the rebuilding as more school places are much needed, but is concerned at the housing density and sole proposed access from Fullers Way North, already busy. Fair comment.

But to blithely suggest extra access at the proposed housing end on to Selbourne Avenue, which would mean demolishing one or more houses and ruining a pleasant side street, basically in the name of money, is outrageous from people sitting safely in Surbiton and beyond.

Tesco (called Spenill for non-retail developments, but taking the profits) has made a preliminary application about environmental impact of what they propose southwards from Tolworth roundabout.

The society, reasonably, doubts whether noise, traffic and strain on services and infrastructure can be mitigated.

But they negate this by saying that the inclusion of a tower to “complement, but not challenge” Tolworth Tower was reasonable, which encourages building big, with consequences.

This shows a knee-jerk tendency to express architectural propriety – from a safe distance.

Only the (small) committee, at most, consider applications for the whole society and are not especially representative.

At its AGM on January 21 a new chairman and partly new committee will be elected, but unopposed.

I hope they will think to ask ordinary members living within Kingston Council’s consultation area for any big project for their comments, to improve the validity of the society’s verdicts.

MICHAEL HOPE
Tolworth

 



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