Kingston Council has refused Kingston University’s planning application to erect a new education building at Middle Mill, after residents mounted a concerted campaign opposing the scheme’s scale and technical evidence.
What was proposed
The university sought permission for a new “high specification” facility to house studio‑based teaching, a lecture theatre, a student gallery, specialist arts and media spaces, a cafeteria and enhanced technical facilities for students of Kingston School of Art. The proposal would have resulted in a building of five storeys, described by objectors as comparable in height to the Bentall Centre.
Local objections focused on height and surveys
Opposition crystallised around the proposed building’s height and mass, and the credibility of the technical reports submitted with the application. A petition opposing the plans gathered in excess of 1,000 signatures, and residents protested outside the Guildhall on the evening of the planning committee meeting on 16 July.
“Such is the depth of feeling amongst local residents,”
The planning committee heard from four registered objectors. Representing signatories to the petition, Tom Gorrell said the campaign raised more than £6,000 to fund independent peer reviews challenging the application. Those reviews, he told the committee, found the university’s light and shading surveys to be “technically flawed and misleading” and judged the ecology survey “inadequate”.
Adrian Treloar, another objector, highlighted the contrast between the proposed building and neighbouring structures, noting that the scheme’s five storeys would be notably taller than an adjacent three‑storey building because of higher floor‑to‑ceiling heights.
How residents organised
- Petition with over 1,000 signatures
- Fundraising of more than £6,000 for independent peer reviews
- Public protest outside the Guildhall ahead of the planning committee meeting
The visible nature of the local campaign – placards declaring “Too big” and “So ugly” were reported outside the Guildhall – appears to have influenced the tenor of debate at the meeting.
What this means locally
The rejection leaves unresolved the university’s stated aim to expand facilities for Kingston School of Art students at Middle Mill. The decision will require the university either to revise and resubmit plans addressing the council’s concerns and those raised by residents, or to seek alternative locations for the proposed facilities.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Proposed building height | Five storeys |
| Adjacent building | Three storeys (as cited by objectors) |
| Petition signatures | Over 1,000 |
| Independent reviews funded | £6,000+ |
For residents concerned about townscape, daylight, ecology and the accuracy of planning evidence, the council’s refusal will be welcomed as a victory for local campaigning. For the university, the challenge is to reconcile ambitions for improved arts and media teaching space with the sensitivities of the conservation and townscape context.
Further detail on the planning committee’s reasons for refusal and any conditions attached will be published by the council in its formal decision notice. The university has not released a public response to the refusal at the time of reporting.
