The Conservative Council wants to demolish 99 existing homes: 45 in Allbrook House, 10 in the Danebury Avenue block above the Co-op, and 44 above the long block of shops.
In their place, the council wants to build 281 new homes: almost three times more. Of these, 129 are likely to be one-bed, another 129 two-bed, and 23 three-bed.
The Council says that about 87 of the 281 homes (31%) will be "affordable". About 194 (69%) would be private homes for sale at full market price. Of the 87 affordable homes, the Council says about 52 homes will be council rented. The rest will be what the council calls "low cost home ownership".
The Tories want to halve the number of affordable homes for rent from 99 to 52. Since 1980 affordable rented homes in our borough have declined from over 32,000 to barely 16,000. With house prices among the highest anywhere I think we need more affordable homes to rent, not fewer.
They only plan to build 23 three-bed homes - just two more than there are now. I think the priority should be more family homes instead.
And though the council says publicly it wants to help local people buy some of the new homes, in council committee reports it talks about creating a "balanced community" - political speak for getting more outsiders into Roehampton.
I think it's more important to help sons and daughters of established long-term Roehampton families to stay in their community when they start their family instead of forcing them to move miles away because of the lack of council homes and
the cost of private housing.
1. Do you think there is space for more homes on the Alton Estate?
2. What about affordable homes? Should there be:
Fewer affordable homes built than are there now
The same amount of affordable homes as now
More affordable homes than there are now
All the new homes built should be affordable
3. What about the mix of homes?
There should be more family homes
There should be more 1-bedroom homes
The mix the Council has set out is about right
4. Would you personally be interested in buying one of the new homes?
5. Should Allbrook House, above the library, be demolished?
The council wants to build on the green at the top of Danebury Avenue by the library - they want to put a new library on this space and create a "town square" with the land that's left over.
The Conservatives claim that "there will be no overall loss of open space" but they haven't shown where the open space they're taking will be reclaimed elsewhere.
The grass verge and trees along Roehampton Lane between Allbrook House and Kingsclere Close will also be lost as the Tories want to build housing along Roehampton Lane.
The one thing residents made clear when the Council consulted last year was that you wanted to keep the green at the top of Danebury Avenue. The Tories promised to respect residents' views on this but their new plans concrete it over.
I think the Tories should respect local residents' views; not ignore them when they don't like what they hear.
The Tory plans will also remove the green "buffer zone" that shields the Alton from polluted, congested Roehampton Lane.
I am unconvinced of the need for a town square. it will attract troublemakers and little else. Because the overall scale of buildings around the square will be higher, instead of creating a well-used public space they might just create a wind tunnel.
It wouldn't be difficult to redraw the plans to avoid concreting over the green. With a little imagination, a small town square could be added as well as keeping the green space.
I'm not sure why the Tories feel Roehampton needs a new library. Is there much wrong with our current library?
1. Would you prefer to keep the green space, or would you prefer a town square instead?
Retain the green space and trees
Build a town square, with a new library, in this area
Redesign the existing paved areas here to create a small town square AND retain the green space and trees
2. How concerned are you about keeping the green space and trees (5 being very concerned and 1 being not at all concerned)
3. How satisfied are you with Roehampton Library?
Very satisfied
Somewhat satisfied
Ambivalent
Somewhat dissatisfied
Very dissatisfied
4. Have you used Roehampton Library in the last six months?
5. Is replacing the current library with a new one a high priority for you?
The centrepiece of the Council's plan is a supermarket larger than Sainsburys in Putney, alongside some other retail space and some 462 parking spaces. The supermarket will go where Allbrook House, its car park and the library are now.
All deliveries, shoppers and staff will get to the store via Danebury Avenue. The council isn't planning to widen Danebury Avenue though it does want to widen Harbridge Avenue so the lorries can go down it.
A strategy to explain how Roehampton Lane and Danebury Avenue might cope with this extra traffic hasn't been produced.
Wider shopping choice is a good thing. But the Tories' plans are worrying.
The Tories want to send hundreds more cars and huge articulated delivery lorries down Danebury Avenue. This is simply madness. Danebury Avenue is a residential area and the centre of the community. All these extra vehicles will be dangerous, polluting and will blight the environment. The plan to get lorries turning round in Harbridge Avenue is also crazy.
If we are to have new shops access to them should be direct from Roehampton Lane, not through the estate.
While shopping choice is good, the Tories' plan seems to be to build a major supermarket that will bring even more traffic into Roehampton. The Tories seem to be trying to attract expensive stores aimed at commuters and not local shoppers.
Finally, I think we need to look at shops in the whole of Roehampton, not just Danebury Avenue. Several shops in Roehampton High Street and Medfield Street have closed in the past few months; we've lost six local pubs and the village as much as the Alton needs its local shops protected.
1. How strongly do you want a supermarket in Danebury Avenue? (5 being very strongly and 1 being not at all strongly)
2. If you could pick which retailer would run the supermarket, who would you choose?
Aldi or Lidl
Asda
The Co-op (a bigger Co-op store than there is now)
Morrison's
Sainsbury's
Somerfield
Tesco
Waitrose
3. If a supermarket is to be built, should vehicular access to it be from Danebury Avenue?
4. If the choice was between having a supermarket with its traffic down Danebury Avenue OR not having a new supermarket here, which would you choose?
Supermarket with additional Danebury Avenue traffic
No supermarket but less traffic down Danebury Avenue
5. Do you agree that Roehampton Village (ie Medfield Street, Roehampton Lane and Roehampton High Street) should be included in any shopping strategy for the area?
The building housing the Boys Club, the area housing office and the Police office is earmarked to be demolished. The council plans to build "new, purpose built accommodation for a youth centre, the Housing Office and the Police close to the Sport and Fitness Centre".
The Boys Club will go where the Right Plaice chip shop is; the housing office in the Premier store and the Police will be housed in a small building on the corner of Harbridge Avenue.
The Tories have said that as part of their plans "the ideal option would be to close the Alton Youth Club" in Dilton Gardens.
Allbrook House above the library, which the Council wants to demolish is nine storeys high – by far the tallest building in the area. But all the new buildings they want to put up will be at least two storeys higher than those there now so overall the plans will feel far more dense.
The Right Plaice chip shop is nowhere near a big enough site to fit the Boys Club and a community centre into it. And closing the Alton Club in Dilton Gardens is the exact opposite of what we should be doing: young people need more to do to get them off the streets, not less.
The Council plans to put a tiny Police office right by the lorry entrance to the supermarket - a poor quality environment for Roehampton's Safer Neighbourhood Police.
The buildings the Tories want to build will be too high. While Allbrook House is 9 storeys, all the surrounding buildings are of a human scale: 3 or 4 storeys along Danebury Avenue. Having all but a couple of buildings 5 or 6 storeys high will make Danebury Avenue darker, more like a canyon and could make
the area bleak and windswept.
1. How important a part of any redevelopment should improved community facilities be? (5 being very important and 1 being very unimportant)
2. The Tories call closing the Alton Club in Dilton Gardens "the ideal option". Do you agree?
* If you oppose the closure of the Alton Club, you can sign our online petition against it here.
3. Should a major new health centre for Roehampton be a part of the plans?
4. Should the height of any new buildings:
Stay the same as they are currently?
Be no more than one or two storeys taller?
Be more than two storeys taller?
Be smaller than they currently are?
5. If the Council said that the plans could not go ahead without their much larger buildings, is that a price worth paying to improve the area?
1. How aware were you, prior to filling in this survey, of the council's new redevelopment plans for Roehampton? (5 being fully aware and 1 being not at all aware)
2. Overall, how much in favour of the council's new plans are you? (5 being strongly supportive and 1 being strongly against)
3. Of all the issues raised in this survey, please say which you are most concerned about (tick as many as three)
Loss of open space and trees
The amount of traffic these plans will create
Height of buildings in the new development
Too many homes built on the Alton
Lack of new affordable homes
Not enough family homes
Demolition of Allbrook House
Insufficient space for community facilities
Closure of the Alton Club
Something else (please tell us what in the general comments box after this section)
About you
How long have you lived in Roehampton?
Entire life
More than 10 years
6-10 years
1-5 years
Less than a year
Has Roehampton changed since you moved here ?
Yes, it's changed a lot
Yes, it's changed a little
No, it hasn't changed at all
If you answered YES to the last question, has that change been for the better or the worse?
Better
Worse
Your say
If you have any additional comments you'd like to add, or to comment further on the questions we've asked here, please use this space:
At the next General Election, who do you think you'll support?
Labour
Conservative
Liberal Democrat
Green
Other
Won't vote
At the last General Election in 2005, who did you vote for?
Labour
Conservative
Liberal Democrat
Green
Other
Didn't vote
And in Council Elections, who do you normally support?
Labour
Conservative
Liberal Democrat
Green
Other
Don't vote
I'd like to join Labour or click here
I can help deliver Stuart's Putney Paper in my part of Roehampton
I'd like to receive Stuart's fortnightly email news bulletin: please make sure you leave your email address below
Name (required)
Address (required)
E-mail address
Telephone number
