The Wimbledon Chase Residents’ Association sent the following message about the appeal against the refusal of planning permission for the former Emma Hamilton pub site.

Everyone is no doubt aware that the public inquiry takes place this Wednesday at 10am the Merton Civic Centre in Morden. The developers are appealing the council’s decisions to refuse planning permission for both schemes ie they are simultaneously appealing the refusal of planning permission for scheme 1 – the five storey building with retail underneath; and scheme 2 – the four storey redesign with no retail. WCRA will be called to speak at the enquiry and will reiterate the views that it has held all along: that scheme 1 is gross over development of the site and not in keeping with the area and therefore in direct contravention of several key planning policies; that scheme 2, whilst a marked improvement, is still too high and too overbearing at the rear.

We will be firmly representing the views that members have given to us (providing they can be explained objectively and tied in with planning legislation). We will be using the same arguments that we put forward when we were called to speak at the two previous Planning Applications Committee meetings.

Residents are welcome to attend and we will report back once the enquiry has concluded.