Consultation - Now Closed!
In May 2023, we held a second stage of consultation to share our proposals for land at Bessborough Road. Thank you for all the feedback we have received in response to our proposals. We are now collating and reviewing all feedback received and will be finalising our plans in preparation for a planning application submission in the coming months.
Our proposals present a unique opportunity to provide eight much-needed specialist homes for people with learning disabilities within a high-quality sustainable scheme, which will help to meet the needs of our residents now and for generations to come. Our proposals will also deliver high-quality new landscaping, enhanced play space, and improvements for wheelchair/ pushchair access.
We held our first stage of consultation in November 2022, to share our initial ideas to develop land at Bessborough Road.
The information shared during both stages of consultation are available in the downloads section of this website. A recording of the public webinar held in May 2023 is also available to watch below.
Site Location & Context
The site is a garage court and play area located on Bessborough Road, Roehampton. It is triangular in nature and wraps around the end of the four-storey block of flats on Highcross Way. It is bounded by Bessborough Road to the East, Highcross Way to the south and two-storey Houses to the north, which front on to Horndean Close.
The area that we are looking to develop is shown outlined in red on the plan below.
The space is currently occupied by Alton Playground, 14 single storey garages arranged in two rows, seven informal parking spaces, associated hard standing and a grassed area. There is existing vehicular access via Bessborough Road and a pedestrian only route via Highcross Way.
The site is at a higher level than the homes to the south on Highcross Way (approximately one- storey above) and an existing wall on the southern boundary provides a very poor outlook from the existing homes.
The site is well connected by buses. The nearest bus stop is on Bessborough Road which is one-minute walk away. It is served by bus routes 265, 419 and N72.
Existing Site Photographs
To show the current uses on the site and in the surrounding area, we have included a series of photographs from within and around the land at Bessborough Road below.
Our Emerging Ideas for Land at Bessborough Road
The identified space at Bessborough Road presents a unique opportunity to develop an unoccupied or underutilised space on the Alton Estate. We are in the early design stages of preparing our plans to develop the site.
Our initial ideas look to demolish the existing garage blocks and develop the space to provide a new high-quality sustainable scheme. We are currently considering ideas to develop the space to provide much-needed new council rent, specialist homes for people with learning disabilities.
We are also considering ideas to improve landscaping, play space and shared amenities for residents of the estate. We are not looking to demolish any existing homes as part of our plans.
We have started to identify site constraints and opportunities, and have established some key considerations to inform our design ideas and help to shape our plans going forward.
Constraints
- Sloping ground and retaining walls – height difference across site is up to 3m
- Relatively small and triangular area
- Distance from surrounding existing homes
- Boundary of the Conservation Area and Historic Parks and Gardens
- Access to the Alton Playground
Opportunities
- Redevelop and repurpose a currently underutilised site to deliver new homes
- Improve outlook from apartments on Highcross Way by introducing new landscaping
- Improve Alton Playground and access to the space
- Providing frontages to Bessborough Road and Highcross Way to improve streetscape
- Improve level access to Highcross Way by creating a more attractive entrance via existing parking court
Key Considerations
High-quality design
Specialist new homes for people with learning disabilities
Landscaping improvements and enhancements
Improvements to Alton Playground
Sustainability and energy efficiency
Security and surveillance
Connectivity and accessibility
Car and cycle parking
Alton Playground Improvements
We are exploring opportunities to improve landscaping, play space and shared amenities for residents of the estate and have brought a landscape consultant on board, to help us look at ways to improve Alton Playground.
Some of our initial thoughts and ideas so far include:
Introducing a sensory garden or features, to provide children of all abilities with opportunities to connect with nature for their mental and physical health and well-being
Additional play features that can be used by users of all abilities, such as a bucket swing
New educational features and equipment that promote visual engagement
Improved accessibility and connectivity, to make the playground more inclusive
Improved planting and landscaping to add visual interest and enhance biodiversity.
Our ideas are shown in a series of example images below! We are keen to hear your thoughts and ideas about the playground to help inform our emerging plans too.
Have Your Say
In May 2023, we held a second stage of consultation to share our proposals for land at Bessborough Road. Thank you for all the feedback we have received in response to our proposals. Your local knowledge, thoughts and suggestions are important to help finalise our plans and ensure the very best scheme is brought forward.
We are now collating and reviewing all feedback received and will be finalising our plans in preparation for a planning application submission in the coming months.
FAQs
This section provides answers to some key questions for the project.
Downloads
November 2022 - Public Drop-In BannersView/Download
November 2022 - Public Drop-In FlyerView/Download
November 2022 - Feedback FormView/Download
May 2023 - Bessborough Road Consultation FlyerView/Download
May 2023 - Bessborough Road Feedback FormView/Download
May 2023 - Bessborough Road Public Exhibition BannersView/Download
May 2023 - Bessborough Road Webinar PresentationView/Download
May 2023 - Bessborough Road Online Webinar RecordingView/Download
October 2023 - Farnborough House Community Flyer View/Download
November 2023 - Farnborough House Public Exhibition Banners View/Download
November 2023 - Farnborough House November Feedback Form View/Download
November 2023 - Farnborough House Public Consultation Webinar View/Download
Contact Us
Thank you for taking the time to visit our website today. Should you require any of the information from this website in another format or hard copy please do get in touch with us on the details below.
By Phone
0207 446 6812
By Post
Bessborough Road and Farnborough House Community Engagement Team
C/O Barton Willmore
7 Soho Square
London
W1D 3QB