Redevelopment of the last phase of the Springfield Hospital site

Executive summary from entrant:

Winckworth Sherwood submits its planning legal work on the redevelopment of the last phase of the Springfield Hospital site. The site represents an important opportunity to unlock significant housing delivery on a brownfield site, and deliver the final phase of the Springfield Hospital Masterplan in a way that respects that context, but ensures that the delivery opportunity presented by it is maximised. That involved consideration of planning strategy but also careful management of the various legal impediments to enable that delivery. It provides 50% affordable housing (of which 50% is Social Rent), completes Springfield Park (a Registered Park and Garden), and improves connectivity with Springfield Cemetery. Beyond those on-site benefits, it facilitates the delivery of state of the art mental health facilities at Springfield and Tolworth Hospitals, which will make a significant positive contribution to delivery of mental health services across South West London. The Winckworth Sherwood Planning team advised Barratt London from site acquisition, application preparation, consideration, through to determination. The site and in turn the application faced numerous challenges, including an initial resolution to refuse by the local planning authority, which was successfully overturned through careful engagement with the Mayor of London to have it called in. As a result Winckworth Sherwood’s planning legal advice was truly “cradle to grave”, and included advice on EIA, application strategy, Metropolitan Open Land/Green Belt strategy, S106 and CIL matters, Mayoral Call-In, and managing the relationship between the site and the rest of the Masterplan. By providing holistic advice, and working closely with Barratt London and the rest of the application team, a viable and deliverable planning permission was secured. Therefore the submission represents the sort of joined-up and strategy-led advice that is necessary to achieve the Government’s aspiration to deliver 1.5m new homes in this parliament, even on the most challenging sites, and in a way that aligns with current and emerging policy on housing delivery.