Nelson Hospital Scheme Is Amended

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Vehicle and pedestrian access is changed

Plans for a Local Care Centre to be built on the Nelson Hospital site in Merton Park have been amended.

The plans are for:

• construction of a new two/three storey (5,600 square metre) local care centre (LCC) and new access route with 68 car parking spaces to the rear (26 for patients);
• construction of a new two/three storey assisted living care development (51 units) at the western end of the site, with associated communal facilities, dedicated vehicle access and 21 car parking spaces.

The initial redevelopment plans were shown at two public meetings at the hospital in Kingston Road last year, followed by an 'open evening'. Fears were then expressed about lack of parking and potential traffic problems.

Now the plans have been amended, the main changes being that the plan for The Rush has been re-designed to to keep the existing vehicular circulation and parking spaces, but the pedestrian access through The Rush Island will be realigned to give a more direct approach to the Main Entrance to the Health Centre.

Also the Assisted Living Care Home plans have been modified with changes to the elevations and site layout, to give better internal arrangements for the residents. No changes to the appearance of the Health Centre or its layout seem to have been made.

While the LCC will retain the existing Pavilions, the care facility (pictured below) will involve demolition of all other existing buildings on the Kingston Road site.

The main entrance of the LCC will look like this:

Representations to the Council can be sent to the case officer, Jean Bennett, at Planning Department, Merton Civic Centre, London Road, Morden, Surrey, SM4 5DX, or you can email her on planning@merton.gov.uk.  The closing date for comments is July 8.  It is expected that the application will go to Merton’s Planning Committee on Thursday July 19.

What do you think? Why not comment on our forum?

June 28, 2012