Kingston University's plans for a 29-metre tall arts block on its Knights Park campus have been refused by the local planning committee, following a campaign by more than 1,000 residents who said the building was too tall and out of character with the surrounding low-rise neighbourhood.
Residents unite against university plans
A Change.org petition opposing the scheme garnered 1,119 signatures. Residents argued the proposed building would be too tall and clash with the character of the area, which includes a village green, two conservation areas, a community garden and the Hogsmill River.
Kingston Council's planning committee voted against the officers' recommendation to approve the scheme on July 16. Councillors agreed that a shorter building could deliver the same benefits.
Design concerns raised
Toby Hiscock, Chair of the Kingston and North Kingston Conservation Area Advisory Committee, described the block as "a bundled attempt at a new landmark civic building as... it is neither welcoming nor dignified in appearance and it’s not placed in a core urban area, hence the overwhelming local opposition to it".
One resident told the meeting the building would "block the skyline, blight the view of all and represent some overdevelopment" of the site. He noted its interior layout was "hugely wasteful, providing only five floors in a building which rises to 29.3 metres". He added: "A more thoughtful design could provide the same, or even a greater amount, of educational space in a substantially smaller building."
Another resident said: "None of these benefits rely on stretching the same amount of floor space higher up in the area. Every one of the harms can be reduced by reducing the unnecessary height."
University's vision for the site
The building would have replaced student accommodation at Middle Mill, providing extra space for Kingston School of Art's art and design courses. It was to include a lecture theatre, student gallery, teaching studios, specialist arts and media facilities and a café, along with a new public square in front.
Objecting residents said they were not against development in principle, but the plans were inappropriate for the constrained site and would permanently change the character of their neighbourhood.
Chris Park, a resident living next to the university, previously published an open letter to Vice-Chancellor Professor Steven Spier, stating the tower would steal light from Mill Street Green for hours each day and feel like "losing something precious that can never be replaced".
University's response
Professor Spier told the July 16 meeting that Kingston School of Art could "only remain a world-leading art school, as well as increase wider economic benefits to the borough, by investing in a new building of this size and prestige in this location". He said the university had developed the scheme with "extensive input" from the local community and made changes in response to feedback.
Professor Spier said: "Our plans for the Middle Mill building represent the minimum we need to bring all our undergraduate art and design students together in one place to meet the unmet demand for places from prospective students, to provide the facilities they need now and expect, to deliver a best-in-class curriculum and to host creative events for the benefit of our students, residents, local businesses and Kingston’s cultural scene."
He added the building was of the "highest architectural quality, combined with a sensitive balance of the requirements for the Kingston School of Art, the economic and cultural growth of the borough and integration with the local area".
Council decision
The committee was told the building would drop down in scale from its tallest point of 29.3 metres towards surrounding homes. But councillors agreed that while the building would deliver benefits, it did not need to be so tall.
Lib Dem councillor Roger Hayes said the "excessive height, volume and bulk" of the building represented "overdevelopment of a sensitive site". He said: "The benefits are undeniable, but they could all be realised in another building." Councillor Hayes asked the university to "work more positively with the council and the community to find a suitable alternative scheme".
