By Nick Smith, chairman of LUNG

The site of the former Atkinson Morley’s Hospital facing Copse Hill in Wimbledon has a new proposal for the development of 79 homes.

These proposals are a huge improvement on the previous 2006 scheme, which was never followed through.

Although the developer’s proposal for the built part of the hospital site looks positive, this involves only a portion of the land involved.

The whole site extends to some 23 acres, 17 acres of which is open land and woods, designated as Metropolitan Open Land (equivalent to Green Belt).

Part of the woodland and meadow are designated as a Site of Importance for Nature Conservation. These open lands have been neglected since the hospital left the site in 1965.

The London Borough of Merton, in its Planning Guidance for this site, clearly sets out expectations of how the open land will be restored by the developer and used by the local community for sport and recreation by schools, sports clubs and the general public.

Residents of this part of Wimbledon have expressed concern at the potential consequences of some of the open land proposals made for the Atkinson Morley’s lands, which they worry will negatively impact on the site and its future use.

The development of the 79 houses requires excavation of basements for most of the houses plus a large, underground car park for 64 cars. This will generate a large volume of “spoil” or surplus soil (mainly London clay).

Rather than pursuing the conventional route of off-site disposal, which would be more costly to the developers, they propose to deposit large amounts of the spoil on the playing field area of the important open space to the south of the site.

Berkeley Homes, the developer, are claiming that “levelling” the area will be a benefit to the community, but residents question the need to create banks of soil, rising to 2.3 metres across these former playing fields, which have been successfully used for over 50 years without such “help”.

One consequence of creating these high banks will be that the Public Right of Way, used by many school children, between Cottenham Park Road and Lindisfarne Road would become a virtual “tunnel” and so extremely unsafe through lack of views through the path.

The Scout site would be enclosed by ditches and three-metre high banks.

The proposed significant changes to levels within the open land give rise to worries, not only about security, but houses to the south of the site and Scouts in the south west corner could suffer increased risk of flooding from overflow of surface water drainage.

Will the proposed “new” playing fields, constructed on top of the clay banks, provide an adequate substitute for the excellent playing surfaces that have served the area for so many years for rugby, soccer, cricket, rounders and general fitness jogging?

It is proposed that the Freehold of the land (equivalent to Green Belt) is to be handed to Merton Council, but will this be accompanied by a legacy of future problems for Merton and the local community?

Concerned residents should write to Sue Wright, Merton Council, MORDEN, SM4 5DX, quoting planning application 11/P0346 or e-mail sue.wright@merton.gov.uk.

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