Developers are "besieging" area

3:59pm Friday 15th June 2007

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Concerns have been raised that Hampton Wick is being taken over by developers after two more large planning applications were submitted, one for the controversial Normansfield Hospital site.

Ward councillors have pledged to oppose any plans to overdevelop the area and Twickenham's MP is offering residents his support to prevent the schemes, which would see almost 100 more homes built.

“We are under siege from developers.”

Councillor Tony Arbour

Councillor Tony Arbour, who represents Hampton Wick on Richmond upon Thames council, said: "We are under siege from developers."

The new applications, one to build a block of eight flats on the site of a single house at 135 Fairfax Road and the other at Normansfield, come on the back of developer Linden Homes seeking to increase the number of housing units on the Jewson site in Sandy Lane by 40 units.

A Richmond council spokesman confirmed two applications had been received at the site of the former hospital, one for planning permission to provide 89 dwellings through conversion of the former hospital building and the other for listed building consent for the proposed conversion to ensure the building's future.

Planning permission was granted to Laing Homes in 2001 for 190 new homes and a 49 bedroom hotel on the site.

The developer built the homes but not a hotel and sold the land to an offshore company, who have failed to maintain the hospital, which is a listed building.

Diligent Finance have now lodged these applications, which would see the hospital restored, but extra homes on the site.

Residents want the listed hospital restored but feel the owners of the property, who have allowed it to decay, are suggesting that, only in return for a substantial overdevelopment, will they restore it.

Coun Arbour said: "Those who live at Langdon Park nearby are anxious for this restoration, but feel that price demanded is too high.

"The council has the power to instruct the owners to maintain the building. My colleagues and I expect them to do this rather than to give into unreasonable pressure."

Coun Pat Parsons, another Hampton Wick councillor, said: "The previous schemes were bitterly contested but they were economically viable and were conceived as part of an architectural whole."

Coun Gareth Evans, who also represents Hampton Wick, added: "It is disgraceful that local residents will have to bear the burden of increasing pressure on our overloaded public infrastructure for the benefit of private profit."

Vincent Cable, MP for Twickenham, said: "Residents will be furious when they discover that another big housing development is being promoted.

"There is an issue of bad faith by the owners. The earlier development on the Normansfield site took place on the assumption that the owners of the hospital building would renovate it and, perhaps, use it as a hotel.

"They have allowed it to go to rack and ruin and now appear to want to knock it down to get more houses on the site.

"Little account is being taken of the historically important features of the building."

The council spokesman added consultation would be carried out on both applications shortly.