Plans for 297 homes at the old Homebase site on Kingston Road have been approved by the council, despite concerns about loud noise from an industrial estate next door.

Lawsons owns a timber yard behind the proposed development, and employs a number of local residents. They said the design of the development “does not address noise issues” from their yard and are likely to cause complaints from new residents, threatening the business. 

Peter Young, speaking on behalf of Lawsons, said: “Lawsons are a noisy neighbour. Their operation generates high levels of noise with fork-lifts, reversing sirens, white noise sirens, diesel engines, early-morning deliveries, and general yard activities.”

Mr Young worried that the applicant’s noise survey showed that the noise can only effectively be managed when windows are closed. He said that the plans for an acoustic fence would not suitably protect residents on the higher levels of the building, which goes up to seven storeys in places. 

Councillor Caroline Kerr also expressed concern that some bedrooms will face the yard. 

Surrey Comet:

She said: “As I understand, Lawsons opens at 6:30am in the morning, that is quite early. Given that people may be trying to sleep and it may not be feasible at all times of the year to keep windows closed, this could be a problem.”

However council officers said this was only the case in “a couple of rare instances” and that an acoustic survey showed that the noisiest part of the site is actually facing Kingston Road. 

Mark Jackson, speaking on behalf of the applicant, Fairfield Homes, said the plans make the “best use of an available brownfield site in an emerging opportunity area.”

He added that all buildings are set back from the industrial site boundary “allowing for a landscape buffer” and that extra glazing and an acoustic fence will provide a “more than suitable living environment.”

He said that subject to approval from the Greater London Authority the team could be on site “as early as January with the first homes available from May 2021 and the site completed in 2023,” to deliver “much needed new and affordable homes in Kingston”.

Surrey Comet:

The proposal includes 58 three-bedroom units, making up 20 per cent of the total number of flats, as well as two commercial units underneath providing between 11 and 22 jobs.

It also includes 23 per cent affordable housing units – with 23 units at London affordable rent (approximately £164 a week for a two bedroom flat), 23 units at affordable rent capped at the borough’s housing allowance, and 23 shared ownership units, split across the one, two and three beds. 

However, Councillor Roy Arora thought this still wasn’t enough:

“Given that it’s a brownfield site and effectively a blank canvas, and given where it is in the borough, I would have expected more affordable homes,” he said. 

However, council officers said they have ensured that the “affordable housing provision meets our housing needs most”, and that in working to cap affordable housing units at the local housing allowance, this slightly reduced the numbers on site.