Two storm out at Tolworth Tower development meeting

Two people stormed out and two councillors were asked to leave a heated meeting about Tolworth Tower on Monday night.

Developers CNM Estates explained its plans to build four new mixed-use buildings next to the iconic tower at the development control committee in the Guildhall. The plans would see the building currently home to the Broadway Bar, Garner’s funeral directors, Costa coffee shop and Boots demolished to make way for new mostly residential buildings, which would have commercial space on the ground floor.

But Tolworth business owners said they did not want the project to become "another Greenway".

The extra traffic some 400 new homes would cause was also a point of contention during the meeting. Claims that the level of traffic around Tolworth Tower roundabout had been decreasing year on year prompted two residents to storm out.

Committee chair councillor Richard Hudson was in the audience after giving up his position to start a Tolworth Deserves Better Campaign against overdevelopment in the area.

Coun Hudson was backed by Chessington North and Hook councillor Andrew Day and both were asked to leave the meeting by acting chair councillor Hugh Scantlebury after they spoke against the project. Concerns were also raised about the lack of affordable housing in the development.

CNM Estates chairman Wahid Samady defended his company’s proposals to expand the building it bought for £45m back in 2014. He argued that high building costs made affordable housing unviable but said the company would be offering £13m into the community.

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