Mortlake: Inquiry to decide on plans for 1,075 homes

Campaigners have said a public inquiry into plans for more than 1,000 homes in south-west London is the “last opportunity to reset the clock”.

Developer Reselton Properties had proposed the scheme on the site of the former Stag Brewery site in Mortlake, but lodged appeals after the Greater London Authority (GLA) raised concerns over the low amount of affordable homes planned.

A spokesperson for Reselton said the scheme would bring a “new commercial heart to Mortlake”, replacing a “redundant set of brownfield industrial buildings”.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) said it had contacted the GLA for comment, while Richmond Council declined to comment.

Richmond Council approved both applications but did not issue final decisions as these require approval from the GLA.

Reselton Properties lodged an appeal against the council’s non-determination of the applications after the GLA indicated its opposition to the scheme, and a letter sent in February on Reselton’s behalf claimed the GLA had suggested “there would be many months of further delay and the outcome would most likely be [a] direct refusal”.

Now the inquiry, held by the Planning Inspectorate, will decide the fate of the proposals.

One of the applications proposes constructing 1,075 homes in buildings up to nine storeys tall.

The plans include provision for 65 affordable homes and there would be restaurants, shops, offices, a cinema and space for a hotel or pub.

The second application is for a 1,200-place secondary school on the site.

It comes after more than 1,000 objections were submitted about both applications on the council’s website.

Mortlake Brewery Community Group (MBCG) is among those to have consistently objected to the scheme, raising concerns about the number of affordable homes and the scheme’s density, height and impact on traffic levels and surroundings.

Francine Bates, co-chair of MBCG, said: “The planning inquiry gives us our last opportunity to reset the clock, reject these plans and sit down with the council and the developers to plan a scheme that will truly benefit the community.”

Speaking on behalf of Reselton Properties, Guy Duckworth said more affordable homes could be considered at a later date and measures would be implemented to limit the impact of the scheme on the road network, he added.

Applications for previous versions of the scheme have also been rejected – in 2020 over a lack of affordable housing and in 2021 due to concerns over height and scale, among other issues.

The inquiry begins on Tuesday and is expected to continue until 14 June.