Mitcham Sub Area Neighbourhoods 1 DRAFT 12 Pollards Hill Pollards Hill Local Neighbourhood Origins and General Character Hill Golf course which was also later traditionally inspired 6 storey Pollards Hill is a suburban residential closed. The site is now occupied by maisonette blocks were built. During area to the south west of Merton at the the Harris Academy Merton (previously the 1960’s the majority of the prefabs boundary to the borough of Croydon. Tamworth Manor high school) and were replaced by the next phase of The neighbourhood is characterised by neighbouring housing. The demolition municipal development which neat rows of inter war houses and the of large houses such as South Lodge comprises a high density low rise post war council houses of the Pollards preceded the building of houses in the scheme of 3 storey houses and flats. Hill housing estate with its distinctive 1920s and 1930s. The scheme was laid out using Greek key layout. ‘perimeter planning’ theory as a result The area was predominantly rural in Development in the area was slow it has a rectilinear Greek key layout set character until the 1930s when the however after the WW1 the council around a series of squares bounded area became suburbanised due to earmarked the neighbourhood as a by Recreation Way. The development housing demand. Early maps suitable site for ‘homes for heroes’. of the Pollards Hill estate was one of illustrate the neighbourhood as tree The late 1920s and 1930s was a the first large scale demonstrations 2 lined fields with farms and the period of growth, particularly to the of building a low rise scheme to a associated large houses dotted across west of the area as the development of relatively high density. The scheme the wider area, these fields were housing rapidly eroded the open space implements the principles of ‘perimeter bordered by woodland namely however not all the planned house planning’ whereby terraces are Pollards Hill Wood. Much of this building was completed by the compactly zigzagging around the edge neighbourhood was in the acreage outbreak of WW2. In the aftermath of of a large open space. The estate of the New Barns Farm also known the war the council erected included a library and community as Galpins, James Arthur a ‘physic prefabricated ‘Arcon’ bungalows to centre, the library was extended and gardener’ grew medicinal and aromatic ease the housing shortage; the first refurbished in 2009. The library was herbs here in the mid-19th century. homes were ready in January 1946. reimagined with a completely new Tooting Bec golf club bought the These were intended to be a external envelope to the entire farmhouse and around 100 acres of temporary solution to the housing building. land in 1905 and cleared what crisis; they were to have a short remained of the woodland on lifespan however the last 19 were Part of the estate was transferred to Pollards Hill. The names of some cleared in Middlesex Road in 1970. MOAT housing association in 1998, roads hark back to these farms and During the 1950s the council built which has since demolished four large houses for example Galpins further housing utilising a new type of maisonette blocks dating from the Road, South Lodge Avenue and pre-fabricated 2 storey houses which 1950s as part of a comprehensive Sherwood Park Road. Tooting Bec were produced by Wates examples regeneration of the estate to provide Golf Club struggled financially and by are still evident on Chestnut Grove and 1,000 new and refurbished homes 1933 had created the smaller Pollards Carisbrooke Road. In addition 4 more and redeveloped these sites into a Pollards Hill Library Merton borough character study: 12 Pollards Hill Local Neighbourhood mixture of houses and apartments. Pollards Hill Local Neighbourhood The scheme included refurbishment the area in addition to other of ‘Wates’ and ‘Wimpy system built buildings such as the library and homes, redevelopment, new-build and community centres. maintenance work to this mixed tenure estate. Land Use Primarily the area comprises of residential houses and flats. It also Built Form The built form varies from interwar contains a wide range of community housing, post war council estates to facilities including a library, community modern development. The interwar centre, youth centre, a children’s houses to the west are typically 2 centre, a neighbourhood police station, storeys low density terrace blocks 3 primary schools, and a secondary with front and back gardens. The road school. In September 2006, Harris Academy opened on the former layout particularly to the southwest of 3 the neighbourhood radiates out from site of Tamworth Manor High School. central roundabout with There are also two churches, interconnecting streets between. Sherwood Park Road and Wide Way. In general suburban houses of the inter-war years have a basic 2 storey similarity; subtle distinctions in their detailing and proportions can be seen emerging as different estates were built and popular design often being Figure Ground repeated in other parts of the area. To the east of the neighbourhood there are typical post war prefabricated houses and flats with simplistic Neo- Georgian architecture interspersed with later flat developments. The north of the area has a distinctive open grain of the Pollards Hill Estate which is a series of closes arranged in Greek Key layout along Recreation Way. Larger blocks denote the numerous schools in Merton borough character study: 12 Pollards Hill Local Neighbourhood Pollards Hill Local Neighbourhood Movement In terms of public transport and accessibility Pollards Hill is an isolated area. The main movement corridors in this area are local distributor roads, traffic is heaviest along these roads. Sherwood Park Road and Wide Way feed onto South Lodge Avenue, these 3 routes intersect at a roundabout. Public transport accessibility is poor apart from a number of bus routes which serve this area. Other public transport links are limited, the nearest train station is at Norbury and Mitcham 4 Eastfields, with the nearest Tramlink stop being at Beddington Lane station, these stations are about a 20 minute View of Donnelly Green from South Lodge Avenue New Barnes Avenue Allotment walk from the neighbourhood. Cycling facilities are scarce and there are no designated cycling lanes. contains a play area and outdoor gym. private adds leafy characteristic to the In addition there is Sherwood Park area. Open Space Recreation Ground which comprises of There are a number of open spaces in tennis courts, pavilion and play areas. the area which are accessible to the There are also enclosed pockets of public for recreation purposes. Pollards green space within the Pollards Hill Hill Recreation Ground is a large green Estate and a small green space off space for all the community to relax, both Robinhood Close and Hertford walk and play. Within the open space Way. There are also grass verges there is a play area for toddlers and and islands on Chestnut Grove which juniors. There is also an outdoor gym, enhance the area. There are additional skatepark, a goal end, basketball nets open spaces adjacent to the and a shelter for teenagers. Central numerous schools in the area which to the Pollards Hill Estate is Donnelly are not accessible to the public. The Green which is a large grass area that New Barns Avenue Allotment although Merton borough character study: 12 Pollards Hill Local Neighbourhood Pollards Hill Local Neighbourhood Neighbourhood Analysis General Neighbourhood Characteristics Major movement corridor Major Gateway Neighbourhood node needing enhancement Positive Neighbourhood Characteristics Local landmark Key view to green space PH1 PH3 Glimpsed views 5 Green space Significant tree / group of trees Topography gradient PH2 Negative Neighbourhood Characteristics PH Public realm enhancement needed Merton borough character study: 12 Pollards Hill Local Neighbourhood Pollards Hill Local Neighbourhood Heritage Assets Heritage map to be added at later stage 6 Merton borough character study: 12 Pollards Hill Local Neighbourhood Pollards Hill Local Neighbourhood Character Areas 1 New Barns 2 Yorkshire Road 3 Recreation Way 2 7 1 3 1 Merton borough character study: 12 Pollards Hill Local Neighbourhood 1 New Barns Character Area Assessment This area comprises of interwar floor with black timber beam typically 2 storey low density houses decoration on upper floor on white Criteria Based with front and back gardens. Houses render. Features include canted bay are formally arranged in terraces along with gable detail canopy porch with Assessment The qualitative attributes of each character streets that radiate out from central red tiled roof. Along Wide Way there area are assessed by using the following neighbourhood node with streets is a distinctive terrace of maisonettes criteria: intersecting between. There is a which retains some of its original Identity horizontal emphasis to houses in this character, originally these were brown Urban Layout Movement area using elements such as brick on ground floor with recessed Architectural Interest casement windows and tiled bay porch some of which have wide brick Built Form windows. There are similar arch. The upper floors are pebbledash, Public Realm architectural motifs throughout the some pairs are decorated with timber Trees Landscape area such as double square or canted beam, and other features include brick Features bays, red tile hangings across bays quoins and canted bay. Front gardens 8 Economic Vitality or on canopy porches,