Planning permission was granted on 20 August for MBA’s mixed use scheme at Upper Green East in Mitcham. The development will provide a shop unit of about 5,000 sq. ft. with 20 dual aspect flats above. Councillors commented:

• “… Fantastic design, a fantastic addition to this part of Mitcham Town Centre ” [Councillor Christie].
• “I’ve lived in Mitcham for 30 years. This is the best, best thing I’ve seen happening to Mitcham right now” [Councillor Henry].
• “… Great development. Mitcham needs new development. Mitcham does need new housing, we need to build this” [Councillor Ward].
• ” No design work in this at all, it’s just squares, it’s not complicated. I find the design extremely ugly… Frankly, it’s appalling.” [Councillor Dean].

Planning permission was granted at 11.58pm – a vote of 9-1, no abstention.

Marcus Beale said: “Merton’s Planning Applications Committee on 20 August 2020 uniquely approved not one but two proposals for residential development with 100% dual aspect flats, the other a highly accomplished scheme by Belsize Architects.  The London Plan says that single aspect flats should normally be avoided, yet a residential scheme with no single aspect flats is a vanishing rarity. Is this 2020 vision at last, or a happy accident?”

About Upper Green East:

• Aspect: 100% dual aspect.
• Good natural light and ventilation.
• Space compliant: 100% “meets or exceeds” national standards [many developments don’t do this!]
• Sense of community, with communal and private amenity areas.
• High energy efficiency.
• Fabulous location in a historic north Surrey village which is now a vibrant multi-cultural community.
• Great transport links.
• Use day and night and the overlooking balconies and side windows will make Mitcham Town centre safer.

Planning permission and Listed Building Consent were granted on 11 August. This is our first collaboration with Stanton Williams Architects who are designing a £37 million scheme which will radically transform this Grade II* listed building. Our role was to research the cultural significance of the building, landscape and setting, advise Stanton Williams on conservation and design aspects of the proposals and help them overcome the many conservation challenges during prolonged discussions with Oxford City Council and Historic England. It was fascinating to go through the Rhodes Trust archives to track Herbert Baker’s design development and the late evolution of the plan to incorporate what is now the Rotunda, the original correspondence sprinkled with sketches and diagrams, some on folded scraps of tracing paper. I seem to be following Cecil Rhodes around, after spending 5 years on the Rhodes building at Oriel college, where a major refurbishment by MBA added an extra floor. By adding another layer of history architects can add nuance and cultural context to our built heritage.

The first phase houses at Archery Road at St Leonard’s upon Sea are now occupied.

Site photos from 24 June 2020 show the outside spaces beginning to take shape, and the first houses at the corner of Quarry Hill being lived-in an enjoyed.

Largest development since the Burtons

This is the largest development in Burton St Leonard’s since the time of the Burtons. It incorporates a terrace of houses by Decimus Burton, and is surrounded by conservation areas with a Norman Shaw house adjacent.

A sense of place and a view of the sea…

More here

The Robert Graves Poetry Prize, honouring the Wimbledon-born war poet, is open for entries. The competition, run in partnership with University of Roehampton and sponsored by Marcus Beale Architects is now in its fourth year. First prize is £1,000 and entry is open to all.  It is judged by literary agent, Peter Straus and Prof Paul O’Prey, former student of Robert Graves.  More information here.