Wandsworth’s heritage watchdog will review the council’s controversial plan for an 81-home tower on the Lennox Estate this Wednesday – examining a proposal that would build on the same green space that residents fought six planning battles to protect in the 1990s.
The Conservation and Heritage Advisory Committee meets at 7pm on January 8 at Wandsworth Town Hall to consider planning application 2025/4170, which would demolish existing buildings and erect a tower of up to 14 storeys on land formally listed as a “Protected Open Space” since 2016.
The meeting represents the first formal scrutiny of a scheme that has become a lightning rod for resident anger over broken promises, missing answers, and a consultation process scheduled through the Christmas period.
The land the council couldn’t protect – until residents did it themselves
“The Green” at Arabella Drive has become a test case for whether protected open space status means anything when the council itself wants to build there.
The site’s history makes the current proposal particularly controversial. Between 1989 and 1994, residents defeated six separate planning applications from Silven Properties Ltd, a private developer who had bought the land for £419,000.
More than 880 residents signed petitions. The council refused every application. The developer appealed twice – and lost. A 1992 public inquiry established a planning principle that remains on the books today: housing need cannot automatically override open space protection where there is demonstrable local deficiency and community reliance.
Planning Inspector A.R. Boyland was unequivocal in his 1992 decision dismissing Silven’s appeal: “I have come to the conclusion that it would cause unacceptable harm to the amenities of the residents of the estate in terms of loss of open space, perceived density and loss of outlook.”
He noted the estate’s objective deficiency in accessible open space – Barnes Common required crossing the busy South Circular Road, Vine Road Recreation Ground meant crossing both a main road and a railway level crossing. “It seems to me that the requirement for a small local park within ½ mile walking distance of home is not met for the Lennox Estate,” he wrote.
The developer made four more attempts between 1992 and 1993, varying between 22 and 40 units. All refused. Silven Properties eventually went into receivership, unable to secure the planning gains that had proved impossible to obtain.
The irony has not been lost on residents: in 1988, it was Wandsworth Council officers who urged the London Residuary Body to transfer The Green “without charge” rather than sell it to developers. Now the council is itself the developer.
2016: Formal protection – until the council needed the land
Wandsworth’s 2016 Development Management Policies Document formally listed “The Green, Arabella Drive” among the borough’s “Other Larger Protected Open Spaces.”
That designation followed directly from the 1990s battles and the planning inspector’s findings about open space deficiency on the estate.
The council now says its scheme will provide “new and improved green open spaces.” But this promise requires believing that demolishing protected open space and replacing it with building footprints, service areas, and landscaping around tower blocks represents an “improvement” over the current green at residents’ doorsteps.
What CHAC will consider Wednesday
The committee – comprising three councillors and representatives from local heritage societies including the Putney Society – will review the proposal’s impact on the estate’s character and surroundings.
Application 2025/4170 proposes:
- 81 new affordable council homes across two buildings, 6-14 storeys
- Demolition of existing buildings and the MUGA (Multi-Use Games Area)
- Closure of part of Arabella Drive
- Ground floor community space
- “Replacement” open space and landscaping
The meeting comes amid mounting concerns about the council’s handling of the estate more broadly:
Gas explosions and council distance: Putney.news previously reported how the council distanced itself from responsibility for a series of gas explosions on the estate, with criticism dismissed as “politically motivated” while officers claimed their handling had been “exemplary” despite resident complaints.
Empty Paddock School building: The former special needs school sits vacant on Priory Lane, directly adjacent to the proposed development site. Residents have asked for months what will happen to this public asset, but the council hasn’t provided clear answers – even as it pushes plans for the tower.
Energy efficiency failures: We revealed in December that the proposed development’s energy use would be 65% above benchmarks – despite the council promising new homes would “meet or exceed” green standards. The planning application contains no explanation for why energy performance is so poor.
The precedent that still stands
The 1992 planning inspector’s decision remains planning precedent today. His finding was explicit: the community’s reliance on The Green as their only accessible open space, combined with the estate’s documented deficiency in such space, meant development there would cause “unacceptable harm.”
That harm calculation did not change when the developer was private. Whether it changes when the developer is the council itself is now the question facing planners, heritage advisors, and ultimately the Planning Applications Committee.
CHAC is advisory only – it cannot refuse applications. But its assessment carries weight, particularly on questions of character, setting, and whether development proposals respect established community patterns.
Wednesday’s meeting will test whether the committee sees a scheme that successfully balances housing need with protected space preservation, or whether the echoes of the 1990s battles suggest history is repeating itself – this time with the council playing the role previously occupied by Silven Properties.
How to engage
The CHAC meeting is open to the public:
- When: Wednesday, January 8, 2026, 7pm
- Where: Room 123, Wandsworth Town Hall
- Application: 2025/4170
Comments on the planning application can be submitted through the council’s planning portal (search for reference 2025/4170) until January 19, 2026.
The full CHAC meeting agenda is available here.
