Published on Jan 10 2010 

Your views are important

Background

The owners of the Fazl Mosque site, The Ahmadiyya Muslim Association, intend to redevelop the Gressenhall Road site and this website has been produced to provide local residents and other stakeholders with the opportunity to share their views (consultation@ahmadiyya.org.uk).

The responses will be reviewed prior to submission of a planning application for the proposal. A Pamphlet has recently been distributed to nearby residents and is available for download.

The first building to be erected at the site was the Fazl Mosque (The London Mosque), completed in 1926. The site has grown periodically since that time and many of the buildings now need replacement. There is an opportunity to consolidate the existing accommodation and provide a higher standard of residential accommodation at the founding home of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Association in the UK.

The number of people visiting the site has reduced significantly since 2003 when the Baitul Futuh Mosque in Morden, Surrey was completed. However, with its historical significance, the role of The London Mosque will continue.

Key Features

• Regeneration of site to upgrade the accommodation and improve its efficiency and environmental credentials
• Same mix of uses (religious, hall, residential, offices) but with improved layout and a new Multi-Function Community Hall
• Overall size of Mosque and Hall remain the same
• Under-used northern side of site developed for replacement residential accommodation fronting Melrose Road
• Comprehensive landscaping scheme
• Improved setting for the historically important London Mosque.

 

The Concept

The Brief

The site has been appraised with a view to re-modelling some of the existing accommodation and providing new replacement facilities. The out of date facilities include the existing washroom block and the multi-purpose hall spaces. There is also the opportunity to improve the setting of the historically important London Mosque, one of the first mosques to be built in Britain. The London Mosque will also be repaired and restored.

The key objectives are:

• Improve the quality and layout of the existing residential and ancillary accommodation;
• Remove stand-alone buildings located around the site, including multi-purpose hall and WCs and combine into one central building for increased efficiency;
• Improve the setting of the historically important London Mosque;
• Provide improved and better defined public/private spaces.

Design Approach

Removal of collection of stand-alone buildings located around the site, including multi-purpose hall and WCs and combine into one central building for increased efficiency. The new multi-purpose hall will be comparable in size to the existing accommodation. Additional space is to be provided for Secretariat use with the extension of the third floor accommodation of the existing main building. There will be three new dwellings provided fronting Melrose Road, to replace the existing accommodation, together with ancillary accommodation for visitors.

Building Organisation

The existing layout detracts from the visual setting of The London Mosque. It has also resulted in a cross-over of public and private spaces which in turn giving rise to a lack of privacy and inadequate amenity provision for the residential accommodation. It is proposed to improve and better define the public and private spaces on the site by providing a new residence along Melrose Road. This is to be served by private gardens, green roofed terrace and balconies for amenity use. It is proposed to include the curtilage of No. 65 Melrose Road within the development, whilst retaining this property for residential guests only.

Scale and Massing

The proposed storey height decreases from three to single storey at the abutment with 65 Melrose Road. The implied building line along Melrose Road has been enforced, as ‘active’ street frontage. It is proposed that the new living accommodation is of a reduced domestic scale relating to the existing houses fronting Melrose Road.

Access

Existing vehicular access remains unchanged. New lifts are provided within the existing refurbished and proposed accommodation for Disability Discrimination Act compliance with ‘access for all’ approach adopted. The site is in a sustainable location, although additional car parking will be provided.

Landscaping

The design will enable the retention of the majority of the existing trees, areas of hard landscaping are to be removed to provide additional gardens for communal and private amenity use by the residential accommodation. New trees will be planted as part of the landscaping proposal.

Sustainability

The development will significantly improve the site’s environmental credentials. The outline Sustainability Strategy envisages:

• Level 3 Code for Sustainable Homes for the replacement dwellings;
• Air borne heat pumps and under floor heating technology;
• High thermal mass to regulate gains, ‘stack’ effect with air handling for cooling;
• Solar thermal technology to provide hot water to WC areas;
• Grey water recycling for WC areas and garden irrigation.

Existing Accommodation

See Pamphlet for context

 

 

VIEWS FROM GRESEENHALL ROAD

 

Proposed Accommodation

3D Model

Key Issues

The design has been prepared to take account of the opportunities and constraints of the site, its wider context, planning policy for the area and the particular requirements of the brief.

Any development will have an impact upon its surroundings. In this case, the proposed design is considered to have taken account of all the key issues and responded accordingly.

Visual Impact

The proposal is considered to fit into the character of the surrounding area. The new residential building would continue the existing form of development along Melrose Place and follows its building line (it is understood that this will actually replace a previous building now demolished). The scale is entirely in keeping with its surroundings and is set back from the main road with a reduction in height down to single-storey next to 65 Melrose Road. The building would also provide a more active edge, albeit that the wall remains for security reasons.

The new multi-purpose hall is visible from certain locations but would be entirely in keeping with the context and seen as an improvement to the current position. The extension to the existing office accommodation in the main building is partially set back and would not harm the character of the building or the street scene.

The proposal would replace the older buildings with a purpose-built group of interlinked buildings. The setting of the historically important London Mosque would be significantly improved through the removal of the existing hall and the landscape treatments, thereby providing a fitting context to this internationally important building. Removing the existing hall and providing new landscaping will improve the views into the site for local residents.

Car Parking and Traffic Generation

There is no increase in the overall size of the multi-purpose hall (or indeed the Mosque). There will be an increase in the amount of accommodation comprising offices, secretary, reception area and residence. However, this will not result in a significant increase in people visiting or working at the site. In any case, the site is located in a sustainable location where there are real alternatives to the private car. It is situated within easy walking distance of the regular bus services along the A3 and tube stations at Southfields and East Putney. A small increase in car parking is proposed.

A Transport Assessment is currently being undertaken and will be completed once the final design is worked up. The TA will provide data on current vehicle movements, access arrangements and the public transport opportunities that exist.

Residential Amenity

The proposal would not harm residential amenity in terms of overlooking, overshadowing and noise/disturbance. The new residential building fronts onto Melrose Road, beyond which lies tennis courts. This building also steps down next to No. 65 Melrose Place. There are no windows in the flank elevation of this building, which in any case forms part of the application and will be used as guest accommodation. For this reason the proposed development is not considered harmful to this building or the enjoyment of the garden, particularly as this is south-facing.

The new multi-purpose hall is situated in the centre of the site, away from nearby properties. The washroom/WC block will also be relocated and replaced with a store/garage.

The first, second and third floors of the main building will change from residential to offices and this is not considered to have any adverse impact upon residential amenity (it could be seen as an improvement). The additional floor would extend the existing third floor and would be a significant distance away from the houses along Gressenhall Road.

Trees and Landscaping

The proposal will require the removal of some trees on the site but these would be replaced and additional trees/soft landscaping added. This will improve the setting of The London Mosque and provide addtional softening to the surrounding street scene.

Summary

The redevelopment of the Southfields Residence represents an exciting opportunity to renew and improve this internationally renowned and important heritage site. The current scheme has been carefully designed to take account of its surroundings whilst protecting the character of it surrounding and not causing problems in terms of parking, traffic generation, amenity and landscaping. It is hoped that local residents and other stakeholders will support the proposal.

 

Making Comments

Your views are important and will be considered by the design team prior to completion of the final design and subsequent planning application. You have until 5 June 2009 to respond to the consultation and the results will be included with the planning application.

Your views are important and will be considered by the design team prior to completion of the final design and subsequent planning application.

You can comment in the following ways:

By email to:

consultation@ahmadiyya.org.uk

By visiting:

www.ahmadiyya.org.uk

By post to:

Planning Department, Carter Jonas, 16-18 Market Place, Newbury RG14 5AZ

By attending our Exhibition being held from 2.00pm until 8.30pm on Tuesday 26th May in the Main Hall at the site.

The Development Team

For more information on The Ahmadiyya Muslim Association please refer to the following websites:

www.ahmadiyya.org.uk

www.alislam.org

For information about the development team please refer to the websites below.

The Long Barn, Welford, Newbury, Berkshire, RG20 8HZ

01488 657 657

www.suttongriffin.co.uk

16-18 Market Place, Newbury RG14 5AZ

01635 263050

www.carterjonas.co.uk