Mary Tate’s Almshouses is one of the most important heritage assets in Mitcham Cricket Green Conservation Area.

It is Grade II listed strategically located by the historic cricket ground and part of the wider Cricket Green story of socially conscious benefactors addressing local needs for healthcare, homes and other support.

It is a much admired and appreciated part of Cricket Green’s social infrastructure and heritage, as evidenced by the level of public interest when it participates in Mitcham Heritage Day.

Over 20 years ago building plans on the important allotments to the rear were given permission but never implemented. They have re-emerged after the site was taken over by Croydon Almshouse Charities. An application for five homes, an office and a meeting room is now with Merton Council to decide.

There is a desperate shortage of truly affordable homes in Mitcham and we welcome efforts to address the problem. Having examined the plans, however, we don’t think that building on protected open space in the grounds of a listed building is the best way forward.

A lot has changed in the last 20 years and we know far more now about the importance of Mary Tate’s Almshouses and the value of green space.

The open land on which the development is planned has just been designated for protection in Merton’s new Local Plan. It is also now included in the London Historic Parks and Gardens Trust’s Inventory of historic parks and gardens. Merton Council itself has undertaken an appraisal of the Conservation Area and a study of local character in the last few years which both identify the special value of open spaces to the neighbourhood. It would be perverse to set all this new insight aside because of a decision made two decades ago.

Our review of the plans shows that the buildings proposed are oversized, poorly designed and the schemes as a whole isn’t practical. The planning application also lacks vital information needed to make any informed decision.

We estimate around 67% of the existing open space is lost to development. This fundamentally changes the character of the Mary Tate site which flips from being predominantly green space to predominantly developed.

The proposed new buildings lack architectural merit. They present a barren, rectangular appearance out of character and in sharp contrast with the existing buildings. The applicant recognises these for being “constructed at considerable expense” and benefiting from “architectural detailing that is uncommon on buildings constructed for lower income residents”. This cannot be said of the new proposals. The plans also include a significant office space and an undersized meeting room which cramp the existing buildings and offer little public benefit.

As well as being poorly designed and harming the existing listed buildings we find the plans don’t work at a practical level on issues such as access, bins, room sizes and safety.

It is unclear whether access down a narrow shared driveway outside the site and through a new gate involving demolition of part of the Grade II listed boundary wall will work in practice. It is equally very clear that the plans to use two small existing outhouses to store bins is a non-starter given their size, layout and the number of bins involved.

The new homes fall short on London-wide space standards that require storage space to be provided. This is a particular problem given the need for many to find somewhere to keep a wheelchair or other mobility aids as well as personal posessions. With rising heating costs it is disappointing to see room designs that have the front door opening direct into the living space. This will be a major source of heat loss on a daily basis during winter months.

Getting around and away from the buildings will also be challenge. There is no evidence provided for how residents in the new buildings to the rear can be evacuated if fire breaks out in the existing Almshouses blocking them from the road. Getting around the site will also be a daily challenge given some of the routes are as narrow at 1.5m wide. This is despite the extensive use of mobility scooters and wheelchairs by residents.

We’ve also been surprised and disappointed by how the plans have emerged.

Despite Croydon Almshouse Charities social purpose and values there has been no prior consultation with the local community and even the existing Almshouse residents didn’t know what was in the planning application before it was submitted. Strikingly, there is no consideration of the impact of the building works on the existing residents in the plans. This is despite their vulnerability to the noise, dust and other harm from construction works. We have called for evidence in the form of a “method statement” that construction can be managed without harm to residents before any decision can be made on the proposals.

Our conclusions are emphatic. Despite the obvious need for more affordable places to live this is not a finely judged decision. The proposals irreversibly change and harm the character of Mary Tate’s Almshouses. They develop a large area of protected open space and cause demonstrable harm to the significance of the Grade II listed building and Conservation Area. The site area of Mary Tate’s Almshouses changes from being predominantly open space to predominantly developed.

The evidence of seeking to extract too much from the site is also apparent in the undersized homes, lack of internal storage, restricted access routes, inadequate bin storage and cramped meeting space. There may also be insurmountable issues relating to the construction of the new buildings given the restricted site and vulnerability of existing residents. We find this all particularly problematic given the caring mission of Croydon Almshouse Charities and the circumstances of the existing and any future residents.

We are asking Merton Council to reject the planning application and stand ready to work with Croydon Almshouse Charities on how it can contribute to meeting housing needs in Mitcham.

Read our full submission on these plans Mary Tates Almshouses – Nov 22