Welcome

Welcome to the first of two drop-in workshops about the future of Benedict Wharf.

Who are we?

Part of the global SUEZ group, SUEZ recycling and recovery UK employs over 5,000 people. Since it was established in the UK in 1988, our company has delivered innovative and environmentally- responsible solutions for waste from households and businesses.

We have operated at Benedict Wharf since 2000 when we bought the previous owners, United Waste.

We are now looking to relocate our operations from the site and want to work with the local community to plan a viable and sustainable future for Benedict Wharf.

PRP have been appointed by SUEZ as the architects, masterplanners and landscape architects to help develop the outline design proposals moving forward. PRP have over 50 years’ experience in housing design, mixed use, urban planning and community engagement.

What is the drop-in workshop about?

The site today Challenges and opportunities Provide background information What challenges do you think we will on the current use of the site and face and what opportunities do you understand its local context. think redeveloping the site presents?

The planning process Building a vision The planning process and approach What are your thoughts on the future we are taking to this. of the site?

The history of the site Moving forward The history of the site and the Would you like to be involved in our surrounding area. next drop-in workshop?

If you have any questions please contact us:

[email protected]

07974 23 33 44 or 07974 23 30 32 The site

CHURCH PATH SUEZ Site Boundary

South London Vehicle Pound Boundary Our proposal only covers the land owned by SUEZ. ’s draft Local Plan allocation envisages that

HALLOWFIELD WAY the vehicle pound could also be redeveloped but this is a decision for its owners.

BARON WALK

Belgrave Walk Tram Stop WHITE BRIDGE AVE

London Road Playing Fields

MORDEN ROAD NORTH

What currently happens on site?

Waste Transfer Materials Recycling Ancillary Activities

If you would like to know more about our operations at Benedict Wharf, please speak to one of the members of the team from SUEZ here today.

The planning process

The site is currently designated as Strategic Industrial Land and for Waste Management by both Merton and the Greater London Authority planning policy. In January 2018 SUEZ submitted Benedict Wharf for consideration for new housing as part of Merton’s new Local Plan.

The second round of consultation on Merton’s new Local Plan is currently underway. This proposes that Benedict Wharf is allocated for new housing with some other complementary development.

SUEZ is in the early stages of developing outline plans for new housing at Benedict Wharf and is aiming to submit a planning application in spring 2019. Change of use

The draft London Plan requires Merton to deliver 1328 homes per year, a 223% increase from the previous target of 411. Although the number of homes is yet to be agreed, the proposal will need to reflect the growing need for new homes in London. If the site’s Industrial and Waste Designations are removed and it is allocated for housing it will need to deliver a significant number of new homes of various sizes and types. The following images set out some examples of the kind of properties that have been developed on similar sites.

The site today Examples of other housing and public realm developments

1 2

3 4

5 6

7 8

9 10

Have your say The site and the surrounding context

Site Boundary

South London Vehicle Pound Boundary Bus routes Bus stops Mitcham Parish Parish Church Centre 6

CHURCH PATH CHURCH ROAD 4 5

Morden Hall Park HALLOWFIELD WAY BARON WALK

Belgrave Walk Tram Stop 3 1 WHITE BRIDGE AVE

London Road Playing Fields 2

LONDON ROAD

MORDEN ROAD

Ravensbury Park

NORTH

1 Belgrave Walk Tram Stop 2 London Road Playing Fields 3 View of the pylon from White Bridge Avenue

4 Hallowfield Way 5 Church Path 6 Mitcham Parish Church History of the site and surrounding area Mitcham, Morden, Merton and Wimbledon merged in 1965 to form the ; but the area was settled a lot earlier. Archaeology has shown that Merton was active even in prehistoric times. There are remnants of an Iron Age hill fort to the southwest of Wimbledon Common windmill, and there is evidence of another Celtic fort in the area of Mitcham.

1910 The Surrey Iron Railway

Mitcham Parish Church

The Vicarage

CHURCH PATH

CHURCH ROAD

BARON WALK CHURCH PATH

CROYDON & WIMBLEDON LINE

By 1750, Merton Abbey and Mitcham had become the main centres of calico cloth LONDON ROAD printing in England. Increased industrial output in the Wandle Valley led to the construction of the world’s first public railway, the horse-drawn Surrey Iron Railway, which opened in 1803. The image above shows that the railway used to run through a part of the site. NORTH

The Surrey Iron Railway was used only for Key Listed buildings ExistingTram line Historic road Historic path near the site a brief period of time and closed in 1846. It route use was affected by the opening of the more London’s gentry began to populate Merton soon after the and Morden by 1926. These transport improvements effective new Croydon Canal and the inability railway reached the borough, it expanded as London grew turned Morden from a small farming community of 1,000 to keep its technology updated. to become the largest city in the world. Trams came to in 1900 into a residential suburb of 12,618 people within Mitcham and Wimbledon in 1906 and 1907. The London thirty years. The Cricket Green and Cricket Underground reached , Club 1956 1976

NORTH NORTH The cricket green was used to play cricket During World War 2, considerable damage was done to The site has a long history of general industrial uses, from the beginning of the 18th century. The Merton. Housing was in great demand in the post-war era including the former Mitchanol Chemical Works, an ink popularity this sport had among Mitcham and new estates were constructed at Phipps Bridge, and coating manufacturer, who occupied part of the site residents led to the formation of one of the Pollards Hill and High Path in Wimbledon. Recovery post until 2008. world’s oldest cricket club. war was extremely slow, and redevelopment schemes started in 1953 under the coronation of Elizabeth II. Heritage assets

NORTH

1 Phipps Bridge Hallowfield Way 2 Church PathChurch Road Lower 6 Green

5 Cricket 4 Green

Belgrave Walk 3

London Road Playing Fields

London Road

Morden Road

Mitcham

Wandle Valley CA NORTH

Wandle Valley Conservation Area Mitcham Cricket Green Conservation Area Listed Buildings Locally Listed Buildings within Mitcham Cricket Green Conservation Area

1 Mitcham Parish Church: Grade II Listed- Church Road 2 Chestnut Cottage: Grade II Listed- Cricket Green 3 Burn Bullock Public House: Grade II Listed- London Road

4 White Hart Inn: Grade II Listed-London Road 5 Morden Hall Park: Grade II Listed- Merton 6 The Vicarage of St Peter and St Paul Have your say Challenges

Constraints on future development Hallowfield Way NORTH

Church Path Church Road • Existing pylons and associated high voltage cables spanning the southern boundary (approximately 56m exclusion zone - no houses permitted in this area).

• Noise and vibration associated with existing tram route along Belgrave southern boundary. Walk Tram White Bridge Ave Stop • Mitcham Cricket Green and Wandle Valley Conservation 56m Areas surrounding the site. London Road Playing Fields

Tram & noise vibration zone

Morden Road London Road Pylon exclusion zone

Mitcham Cricket Green Conservation Area

Wandle Valley Conservation Area

Lack of interaction with London Road Playing Fields Hallowfield Way NORTH

Church Path • Baron Walk (public right of way) and London Road Playing Church Road Fields are poorly overlooked from the site.

• Limited access and interaction between the site and London Road Playing Fields, considered as Protected Open Space

and Site of Importance for Nature Conservation. Belgrave White Bridge Ave Walk Tram Stop

London Road Playing Fields

Baron Walk

Morden Road London Road Poorly overlooked space

Pedestrian path (Baron Walk)

Limited access

Hallowfield Way Access NORTH

Church Path • Only access point for cars and other traffic into the site is via Church Road Hallowfield Way.

• Limited opportunity for pedestrian access to Belgrave Walk tram stop. Belgrave Walk Tram White Bridge Ave • Access to and from the site by Morden Road is restricted by Stop the tram line crossing

London Road Playing Fields

Limited access

Restrictive movement across tram line Morden Road Vehicle access point London Road

Pedestrian access to London Road Playing Fields

Restrictive movement across car-park Have your say Opportunities

Improve movement and vistas Hallowfield Way NORTH • Opportunity for new routes that could connect the site to Church Path Church Road the surrounding context.

• Open up existing rights of access.

• Opportunity for new and enhanced access to and from Belgrave Walk Tram White Bridge Ave London Road Playing Fields. Stop

• Enhance views and vistas to historic buildings. London Road Playing Fields

Potential new connections

Park Access Morden Road London Road Opportunity to open up the existing Public Right of Way

Grade II Listed Buildings near the site

Interactive Open Space Hallowfield Way NORTH

Church Path • Opportunity for community green space along the pylon Church Road exclusion zone.

• Maximise views onto London Road Playing Fields.

White Bridge Ave Belgrave Walk Tram Stop

London Road Playing Fields

Baron Walk

Morden Road London Road Maximising views to London Road Playing Fields

Potential linear park

Enhance Hallowfield Way Hallowfield Way NORTH • Opportunity to create well-defined entrance into the site. Church Path Church Road

• Opportunity for landscape and public realm improvements.

Belgrave Walk Tram White Bridge Ave Stop

London Road Playing Fields

Morden Road London Road

Potential Hallowfield Way Improvement Area Building a vision

We believe a housing led vision for the future of the site would fit with the largely residential character of the surrounding area and enhance the setting of the Mitcham Cricket Green Conservation Area and London Road playing fields.

T N RAN EIG IB HB V O A U E R IGH QUAL HE HISTO T H H IT T A O Y RY E O E ID H O T O V O R

T F D O M

C C T R E E H P S N E

N

A

O

R

C

E

E

A R

W CON NDON NE NE LO RO E C E A D T C D I I N V O P N A L O H A S Y R N P I

E N

G

F

I

A VISION FOR E

L

CHANGE D S

ABLE NEIG PACES K H S & P L B EN U A O P B W U O L A R I E C E H T R O P A E

A O E

A

H D R

L

S

C M

Your views matter

We welcome your comments and ideas Concept plan

Mitcham Parish Church

Benedict 1 Up to 3 storeys in and Cherry Primary Cricket around the Conservation Tree State School Green Area School 6 Melrose 2 Up to 8 storeys with views School to southern green space 1 3 Up to 10 storeys with Belgrave Walk 5 views to London Road Tram Stop Playing Fields 2 Linear green space within 3 4 the exclusion zone 4 London Road 5 Public plaza and entry Playing Fields Liongate point into southern green Enterprise Park space and London Road 6-storeys Playing Fields 5 buildings 6 Public plaza and main entrance point into development

Ravensbury Park Mitcham Tram Stop

Design principles A well-connected place A new network of streets and public spaces that are well connected to London Road Playing Fields and the surrounding area and promotes walking and cycling through secure streets.

A neighbourhood that reconnects to its history Create a new neighbourhood that builds upon the history and heritage of the surrounding area.

Buildings that respond to the character of the area Create new homes that respect the character of the conservation areas and add value to the neighbourhood.

High-quality open spaces and public realm High quality public spaces that are usable, well managed and overlooked with appropriate facilities for children and youth with leisure activities.

A safe and secure environment Creation of an environment that feels safe for all, with ‘eyes on the street’ Your and a mix of private and semi-private spaces. views matter

We welcome your comments and ideas Have your say Next steps

AUTUMN Drop-In 2018 Workshop 1 We are here

EARLY WINTER Meeting with Meeting with Greater 2018 Merton Council London Authority (GLA)

Drop-In Workshop 2 • Illustrative masterplan • Parking strategy • Height strategy • Landscape and public realm strategy

LATE WINTER 2019 Meeting with Merton Council

EARLY SPRING Submit outline 2019 planning application

How you can participate?

Take part in our drop-in workshops Workshops ensure that better quality and more meaningful engagement can occur within a less formal environment.

Complete the questionnaires We welcome your comments and ideas throughout the process. This is an opportunity to gather local knowledge while allowing individuals to have their voice heard and queries answered.

Leave us an e-mail [email protected]

07974 23 33 44 or 07974 23 30 32