Kingston Council officers were grilled by residents over plans to redevelop New Malden’s Cocks Crescent site, with school places, parking and saving the leisure centre all on the agenda.

Surrey Comet:

The Malden Centre is part of the site due to be redeveloped

The New Malden and Grove residents associations organised a question and answer session at the Malden Centre on Thursday with council workers who put together the draft Cocks Crescent SPD – the council’s “masterplan” for redeveloping the site.

Residents questioned whether the site in Blagdon Road could cope with up to 520 new homes and the planned “community hub”.

Sunday, June 18: Swimming pool is residents' biggest worry in Cocks Crescent redevelopment

Sunday, November 1, 2015: Public consultation on Cocks Crescent redevelopment calls on council to secure future of New Malden's leisure centre

Tuesday, September 29, 2015: Kingston Royals fear redevelopment plans could leave them without swimming pool

According to the London Plan’s density matrix, the site would be expected to deliver between 140 and 520 new homes.

But Daniel Morton, urban design officer for Kingston Council, said that 520 homes is not “necessarily a level of housing” that the council wants.

He said: “If there is that level of development then the council will be able to generate a significant amount of money to provide a better facility.

“It’s a considerable amount of land and that is what makes this a unique project. The development has to be sympathetic to the area’s character. It’s not the easiest site to work with.”

One resident claimed the council would be “creating more of a problem” with traffic and parking while another expressed concern that nearby schools such as Burlington Junior School would be able to cope with increased demand.

Zbig Blonski, of the New Malden Futures Group, which has been working with the council on developing the site, said that ensuring the redevelopment of the Malden Centre should be a priority.

The centre is currently home to one of only two swimming pools in Kingston and there is no assurance in the document it will be replaced.

Surrey Comet:

The swimming pool at the Malden Centre - with the only other pool being the 

Mr Blonksi said: “Our view is that we need a replacement for [The Malden Centre]. This was great many years ago when it was built, now things have moved on.

“The vision that the New Malden group has developed is that there is the need to build a new town square - the ambition and determination to develop this has to be in place.

“I think it’s all possible. It’s very important that the document gets changed in the way that we are suggesting.”

New Malden councillor Mary Clark said: “We haven’t got one community facility left in New Malden. You’ve got to limit the number of flats in this place.”

The deadline for the consultation into the document is Monday August 29. Visit Kingston.gov.uk.