PROPOSED REDEVELOPMENT OF THE BLOSSOM HOUSE SCHOOL SITE
Public Exhibition - 18 March 2015
EXISTING SITE AERIAL
1. View looking south along The Drive towards site entrance
2. View looking west along The Drive towards site entrance
3. View of school parking court and timber clad sports hall
4. Lane End
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Regency Place
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WELCOME
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End
Blossom House School
Why are we developing
this site?
The proposals for development which feature in
this Public Exhibition are therefore part of a much
wider strategy which ultimately enables Blossom
House School to move to larger premises and
expand, thereby retaining much needed special
needs education places within the Borough of
Merton and providing the opportunity for a
significant number of additional places to be
provided in the future. The proposals have been
developed over the past 18 months and have
been informed through consultations with various
stakeholders including officers at Merton Council.
r be r r
Lane
We welcome you to share your views on the
emerging design proposals.
Blossom House School is a specialist independent
day school for children from the ages of 3 to 19
years with speech, language and communication
difficulties. The school is relocating to a larger
campus at Motspur Park to meet its growth
demands. In order to help fund the school’s
relocation, it is necessary to dispose of the site
at Blossom House School. The decision has been
taken to apply for planning permission to redevelop
the site for 13 homes comprising a mix of 4
and 5 bedroom houses set within a high-quality
environment.
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The purpose of the exhibition is to collect
local thought on the proposals to redevelop
the Blossom House School site for residential
development prior to submitting a planning
application to Merton Council at Easter.
The Drive
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Planning Application Site Boundary
5. Blossom House School Parking Area and Rosemary Lodge
6. 1-4 Regency Place and wall abutting northern edge of site
7. Slope down western edge of site
8. Stairs and terraces addressing level changes at southern end
9. Level changes at south-western end of site
10. Views south towards the North Downs
11. Courtyard at rear of school
12. Soft rubber surfaced / tarmacked play areas to rear of school
PROPOSED REDEVELOPMENT OF THE BLOSSOM HOUSE SCHOOL SITE
Public Exhibition - 18 March 2015
Site location within West Wimbledon Conservation Area
Locally Listed Buildings
Positive Contributions to area
SITE CONSTRAINTS & OPPORTUNITIES
FACTUAL
BACKGROUND
Emma Terrace and No. 2 The Drive
THE DRIVE
Conservation Area
4.4m
The site is located within the West Wimbledon
Conservation Area, Sub Area 31A: Arterberry Road
(northern section) and The Drive
No. 1 The Drive - Locally listed
10-12 Mount Ararat
6.5m
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West Wimbledon Conservation Area
Sub Area 31A: Arterberry Road and The Drive
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Characterised by:
• Arcadian form of development
• Late 19th to early 20th century properties
• Large houses, many have been converted to blocks of
flats, care homes and educational institutions
• Generally well set-back buildings lines
• Wide gaps between buildings
• Dense greenery along roads
• Gravelled front drives
• Brick walls and gate posts, iron gates to some
properties
Planning Background
7.6m
L AN
Within this sub area there are 7 locally listed
buildings and 15 additional buildings which make a
positive contribution to the Conservation Area.
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BLO SCHO
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Regency Place, No. 8 The Drive
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No. 16 The Drive - Locally listed
Regency Place, No. 8 The Drive
Sub Area 31A: Arterberry Road and The Drive
The application site:
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Is located within the West Wimbledon
Conservation Area, Sub Area 31A: Arterberry
Road (northern section) and The Drive
Is in a PTAL 1b area of accessibility
Is located adjoining an Archaeological Priority
Zone
Includes land partially within an area allocated
as Open Space
Is located adjacent to the Locally Listed
Buildings at nos. 16 and 18 The Drive
Is located outside of Flood Risk Zones 2 and 3
Includes a London Plane tree which is covered
by a Tree Preservation Order
Includes trees that are protected other than
by a Tree Preservation Order due to its
Conservation Area status
No. 3 The Drive
KEY
No. 18 The Drive - Locally listed
No. 3 The Drive
Proximity of neighbouring properties
Conservation Area
Maximise views south towards the
North Downs and address change in
existing site levels through use of split
level units
Existing Roads
Hardscape / paving
36 Arterberry Road
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Planning Application Site Boundary
Conservation Area
Sub Area 31A boundary
Locally listed buildings
No impact on
Conservation Area
Archaeological Priority
Area
Positive Contribution to
the Conservation Area
Negative Impact on
Conservation Area
Soft surface / landscaping
Opportunity for central space on flat
part of site
Existing Site Levels
Existing access points
Existing Trees & Root Protection
Areas
No. 6 The Drive - Locally listed
121 Ridgway & Ridge End
PROPOSED REDEVELOPMENT OF THE BLOSSOM HOUSE SCHOOL SITE
Public Exhibition - 18 March 2015
2. SENSE OF ARRIVAL
1. RETAIN TREES
3. LANE END MEWS
4. GATEHOUSE ENTRANCE
DESIGN CONCEPT
Local Architectural
Character
Proportions:
• Double fronted houses with central entrance
• Half-basements and stairs leading to front
entrance
Materials:
• Predominantly red-orange brick
• Some render
• Brick plinth
• Ornate hanging tile in feature gables
Elements & Detailing:
• Front porches – recessed and projecting
• Some gothic details to porches
• Feature bays
• Brick string courses and detailing
• Decorative timber or iron balustrades to
balconies
• Gauged brick detailing to chimneys
1. Retain the majority of trees on site.
Existing building lines inform extent of proposed
built form.
5. CENTRAL GREEN
2. Celebrate tree at entrance to create a sense of arrival.
6. SENSE OF ENCLOSURE
3. Improve and widen the site access along Lane End.
Create an attractive mews framed with tall hedging.
7.VISTA
4. Gatehouses and shared surface square mark entrance to
development.
8. REAR COURTYARD
Fenestration:
• Classical and Neo-vernacular proportions
• White painted timber window frames and
mullions
• Brick voussoirs / jack arches
• Painted stone lintels and sills
Roofscape:
• Deep eaves
• Shallow hipped roofs
• Substantial chimneys to properties
5. Formal green space in centre of the site with houses
positioned around the perimeter.
6. Paired houses reflect local double fronted plot widths.
Sense of enclosure around the central green with
semi-detached units and garden walls.
7. Villa addresses vista at end of central green.
8. Unique pair of semi-detached houses in rear court.
CONCEPT ELEVATIONS
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Gatehouse marks entrance
to development
Double height feature bay windows and stone surrounds
Pairing of houses to reflect local double fronted plot widths
Villa addresses vista at end of
central green
PROPOSED REDEVELOPMENT OF THE BLOSSOM HOUSE SCHOOL SITE
Public Exhibition - 18 March 2015
PROPOSED MASTERPLAN
KEY
SITE
MASTERPLAN
SEC
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TIO
THE DRIVE
SCHEDULE OF ACCOMMODATION SUMMARY
A
Landscape feature around existing tree to
celebrate entrance
B
Lane End widened and improved
C
Existing thick hedgerow 5m high provides
screening to Lane End
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Gatehouse and square marks development
entrance
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Central Lawn
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Lavender Garden
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Paired semi-detached houses reflect local
character
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Total Site Area: Density:
Parking 13 no. Private Dwellings
8 no. 4 bedroom houses
5 no. 5 bedroom house
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5540 sq.m
23.5 dwellings / hectare
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28 spaces total
2 spaces per house
2 visitor parking spaces
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* All parking provision on site to ensure a permit free
development is achieved
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Split level design to accommodate existing
sloping site and maximise views
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Villa at end of central green
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Semi-detached pair of houses in rear court
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On plot parking
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Visitor parking
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BUILDING FOOTPRINT COMPARISON
SITE SECTION
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Site Boundary
23.6m to Mount Ararat
PLOT 12
Split level house
21.25m
PLOT 2
Level house
21.75m to 33.00m
NO. 8
THE DRIVE
Existing School Building Footprint
PROPOSED REDEVELOPMENT OF THE BLOSSOM HOUSE SCHOOL SITE
Public Exhibition - 18 March 2015
1. LOOKING NORTH TO PLOTS 1 - 6 & CENTRAL GARDEN
ARCHITECTURE
Materials
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Buff London stock brick
Red brick stock
Reconstituted stone
Powder coated aluminium, dark grey
window frames and doors
Dark grey/black metal railings
Metal mansard roof with dormer
windows
Stone window surround
Principles
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Clear distinction of base, middle and top
Mansard roof with dormer windows
Chimneys
Diminishing window sizes moving up the
building
Casement dormer window
Roof - parapet party wall
Projecting stone portico
Decorative metal balcony railings
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2. PLOTS 9 - 12
3. PLOTS 9 & 10
PROPOSED REDEVELOPMENT OF THE BLOSSOM HOUSE SCHOOL SITE
Public Exhibition - 18 March 2015
LANDSCAPE
Formal planting border
Design Principles
CENTRAL GARDEN
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A communal garden at the heart of the
development will provide an elegant
centrepiece.
Designed as a series of connected ‘garden
rooms’, each with their own unique character.
Using the principles of classical proportion
and balance, the garden will become a place
for relaxing and socialising.
High quality bespoke elements will give
rhythm and repetition to the space.
Layered hedging and herbaceous border
Lavender bordering path
Double layered formal hedging
Ornamental trees used to define threshold
Ground cover at the base of
large tree
SPATIAL HIERARCHY
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Planting and hard surface changes used
to define areas of public, semi-private and
defensible space.
Opportunity to emphasise London Plane tree
located at the site entrance, creating a unique
threshold.
Formal front gardens will provide dwellings
with an area of defensible space which relates
to the central landscape.
A combination of hedging and
trees defines space
Clipped Hornbeams provide structure and prestige
Traditional wrought iron bench
High quality hard landscape
materials
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Cubed Head trees define spaces in central garden
Gravel footpath
PROPOSED REDEVELOPMENT OF THE BLOSSOM HOUSE SCHOOL SITE
Public Exhibition - 18 March 2015
PLOTS 1 - 6 & CENTRAL GARDEN
THANK YOU
NEXT STEPS
Thank you for attending the exhibition. Please let
us know your views by speaking with one of our
representatives and/or by completing a
feedback form.
The comment forms can be filled out here and
placed in the drop box, or in your own time and
returned to the address at the bottom of the form
by post or email.
Comments need to be sent and received by
27th March 2015.
RPS Planning and Development will create a
consultation report that will summarise the
responses received from this Public Exhibition
and how they have been used to amend the final
scheme prior to the application being submitted to
the London Borough of Merton for determination.
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