SHOPS AND COMMUNITY FACILITIES FAQs

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1. How would the impact of the new development on community facilities be assessed?

Council planning officers would assess the extent of the increased demand on local community facilities as part of a planning application.

 

Richmond Council has an adopted Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL), which is a charge that the Council sets for certain new developments in the borough. This allows the Council to raise funds from developers to support and fund new infrastructure that the Council and local communities want. This can include:

 

• Provision of additional school capacity

• Redevelopment of community facilities in Ham

• Improvement to play facilities within parks and improvements to the River Thames Towpath

• Improvements to sports and leisure provision, including Grey Court School community sports centre

 

Other infrastructure projects which Richmond Council may spend CIL monies on are set out in the Regulation 123 List.

 

In addition, the Local Planning Authority can use Section 106 obligations to secure the provision of, or financial contributions towards, specific off-site works required in connection with a particular development, where they are required to make a scheme acceptable.

 

2. What would happen to the services at Ham Clinic?

Space has been identified in the new proposals for the re-provision of the existing community facilities. This could be wrapped around the back of the shops or on the ground floor of one of the residential units. RHP and Richmond Council are committed to re-providing existing community facilities in new buildings.

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3. What would happen to the Youth Centre? 

RHP and Richmond Council are committed to re-providing existing community facilities in new buildings. We are working with Achieving for Children (AfC) to understand how the existing Youth Centre is used, how the space and services could be improved and links with the Children’s Centre and local schools developed. As part of this consultation we will be engaging with local young people to understand what they would like to see as part of any development.

 

4. Would there be parking for the Community Hub Building?

Following resident feedback, the proposal published for consultation in July 2015 which included a new Community 'Hub' Building is no longer on the table.

 

However, should redevelopment go ahead and include some sort of community building provision of car parking would need to be made in line with Richmond's Council planning policy on car parking standards; parking would include disabled car parking and essential spaces for staff. 

 

5. Are new schools being proposed in the area? 

Richmond's Council School Place Planning Strategy recognises the potential future development of Ham Close. It indicates a need for more primary school places within the area and sets out options for meeting that need. All three local primary schools have got capacity for further expansion and the Council, working with Achieving for Children (Afc), will factor in the need for further places as the proposals for Ham Close are developed.

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6. Has RHP discussed with TfL (Transport for London), the local authority, and other services (i.e. health services) the impact that the redevelopment will have on existing services and infrastructure?

As part of this process, Richmond Council and RHP will undertake studies to look at the impact of additional homes on local services and infrastructure.  We will discuss these issues with other agencies such as TFL and Health Services to ensure the impacts of redevelopment are understood and opportunities to work together are identified. Conversations are underway with the Lock Road GP surgery, HRCH NHS Trust (the owners of Ham Clinic) and Achieving for Children (AfC).

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7. How will RHP work with shop owners to improve the aesthetics of the shop fronts?

RHP and Richmond Council will talk to the shop owners to see if it is possible to improve the outside of the shop frontage.