Hogsmill Valley

K2 delivers Strategic Masterplan and development viability for Kingston

The Hogsmill Valley covers an area of 79 hectares in the heart of the Royal Borough of Kingston which is largely inaccessible to the public and under utilised. As a result it has been identified in the Local Development Framework Core Strategy as a ‘key area for change’. 72.5 hectares of the overall area is designated as Metropolitan Open Land (MOL). Any development proposals within this area will require very careful justification and demonstration of very special circumstances. The Vision identified in the Core Strategy for the area is: “To make the area the ‘heart of the borough’ in terms of providing important utilities, social, economic and green infrastructure for the borough that serves its adjacent communities and upgrades the quality and connectivity of the Green Chain.”

As part of the Pick Everard Integrated Team, which also includes Pollard Thomas Edwards Architects and Summers Inman, K2 consultancy have been providing Project and Development Management Service to the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames to deliver the a key strategic masterplan and provide advice on the viability and scale of the development required to deliver the key objectives.

The key objectives and vision for the HogsmillValley include:

• Open up large areas of MOL for public access, minimising the loss of MOL required for enabling development

• Introduce footpath and cycle links north to south across the Hogsmill River to provide access from Berrylands Railway Station to Kingsmeadow stadium and connect the other surrounding areas into a walking and cycling network

• Create an accessible riverside walk along the Hogsmill River

• Provide additional student accommodation for Kingston University, to help meet the current shortfall of 2,500 bed spaces

• Reconfigure the existing sports and leisure provision to provide a sporting hub (football stadium, multi-use games area, athletics track, etc), including redevelopment of the AFC Wimbledon Stadium to 10,000 seat capacity

• Provide a larger area for allotment gardens that is at lower risk of flooding than the existing location

• Provide a location for a new primary school providing up to 4 forms of entry.

• Protect around 10.4 hectares of land for nature conservation/wildlife habitat

Stage 1 of the masterplan was issued at the End of September with stage 2 due for completion spring 2011.

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