Residents outraged that a new block of flats in Colliers Wood High Street has capitalised on its famous neighbours have started a petition to get the ‘Wimbledon Reach’ name changed.

The controversial development in Colliers Wood High Street has attracted derision from the area’s residents who say £663,200 for a two bedroom flat is pricing them out of the area.

February 9: Colliers Wood, actually: Residents outraged at 'Wimbledon Reach' £663,000 two bed flats

The petition calls for the name to be changed to something more appropriate to the local area, and for the hated Brown and Root tower to be included in any promotional material.

Wimbledon Times:

Before: The former library now being re-developed

The landmark does not appear in any of the images of the six storey development. Nor does it mention the new Donald Hope library being built on the ground floors.

Wimbledon Times:

Resident Eleanor Stanhope set up the petition, Keep Colliers Wood community spirit, after a debate on the Facebook group Colliers Wood News and Views saw neighbours expressing their disgust at the name and its price.

Some acknowledged the commercial benefit in naming the block after Wimbledon.

Wimbledon Times:

A number of stickers reading Colliers Wood, actually, have been distributed by estate agents SW19, which created the design to promote the area separately to the recent outcry.

Jessica Sully, who works in design and marketing, said: “We did in fact roll out that campaign just recently and we continue to work on promoting the area with this.

“The slogan is the brain child of my director, Luke Bennett, who has been a local resident for over 20 years, and myself, who developed the design to coincide with the retro elements found within Colliers Wood underground station.

“It is by pure coincidence that the locals have run with it as proud residents of the area in its own right.

"We can’t print the stickers fast enough! Obviously we had hoped for positive feedback but it’s their disgruntled response to the unfortunately named ‘Wimbledon Reach’ which has somewhat stirred their territorial reaction.”

Hundreds of people on the Facebook group Colliers Wood News and Views have hit out at the development.

In just a day, the petition has been signed by more than 100 people.

Developer Rocco Homes was unavailable for comment.

The Rightmove website has temporarily removed the listing while it gets more information from the developer. It did not wish to comment further. 

Commenting on the petition, Tris Morant said: “Any large new development such as this should enhance, appreciate and respect the neighbourhood in which it is built. The name ‘Wimbledon Reach’ is not only cringe worthy, it is pretentious and implies that the best thing about the area is that it is so easy to be somewhere else.

"This is not a way of becoming a popular new neighbour in Colliers Wood. Change the name, or forever be unwelcome here.”

Jenny Hirons said: “Might as well call it Putney Reach and say it's handy for the boat race!””

With reference to changing the name, Alex Turner said: “Or "Out of Reach" to mere mortals.”

Sign the petition at www.change.org/p/rocco-homes-keep-colliers-wood-community-spirit