Woodcote Grove Ashley Road Epsom KT18 5BW

Click here to see map for location of Woodcote Grove Epsom KT18 5BW.

19/00999/FUL Demolition of existing office buildings and redevelopment of Application Site to provide 98 apartments/dwellings, including conversion of the Grade II* Listed Woodcote Grove and Grade II Listed Stable Block, with parking, access, landscaping and other associated works.

This application and an associated one regarding amendments to listed buildings proposes the redevelopment for housing of the site of the old Atkins office buildings and conversion of the listed buildings of Woodcote Grove and associated stables. The Society objected strongly to the first design proposals in September 2019, and the plans have now been revised taking into account some of our concerns.

Woodcote Grove is part of land previously used as the Head Office for Atkins, and is part of the Chalk Lane Conservation Area, recognised as one of the most important Conservation Areas in Epsom due in part to the Mansion itself, a building of historical and architectural importance. Both the Mansion and associated Stable Block are Grade II* listed buildings.

The Society’s main objection to the original proposal was in regard to the present planning permission 14/01150/FUL for the ongoing Atkins new headquarters project. This planning decision required that the existing office blocks shall be demolished and the resultant material removed from site within 6 months of first occupation of the new building and the grass bank and soft landscaping shall be reinstated in accordance with the Landscape Masterplan Drawing. This condition was imposed to ensure that there would be minimal impact on the adjacent listed buildings. The current application still seeks to replace this landscaped open space with a substantial 6 storey block of flats.

Despite a small reduction in the number of housing units proposed, our objections remain largely unaddressed and our latest letter concludes that quite apart from the infringement of the condition attached to permission of application 14/01150/FUL these proposals constitute an attempt at significant overdevelopment affecting heritage assets in one of Epsom’s most important Conservation Areas.

We therefore still object strongly and continue to recommend refusal. See our latest letter here.

And see our previous letter here.