Kidbooke David Lloyd gym seeks to expand – and add 84 parking spaces

The David Lloyd gym in Kidbrooke has submitted plans to expand and add another 84 parking places.

The gym group plan a “sauna and outdoor jacuzzi to the east of the site with modifications to the existing outdoor tennis courts”. They also plan car park expansion to create a total of 307 spaces all on a single level. The land is designated as Metropolitan Open Land and within the Green Chain area.

A previous application to set up a car wash on part of the site was previously refused in 2017.

David Lloyd’s response to initial concern has been to change car parking material to so-called “grasscrete”.

While arguing their case, they give an example of another application in Sutton but crucially do not mention car parking space changes at that site. When referencing that decision, they state that “Sutton acknowledged the proposals would provide improvements to an existing facility that promotes healthy lifestyles”.

Is 84 extra car parking places promoting healthy lifestyles?

If this land is to be built on at all, housing should be the focus. A large car park is a vast waste of land in a housing shortage.

Traffic is already increasing in the area as new homes are built and public transport provision lags behind.

The number of homes at Kidbrooke Village has been increased to 5,200 and TfL have won approval for 600+ homes near the station. There is no confirmed additional capacity for railway services anytime soon.

Silvertown Tunnel is projected to bring 30 per cent extra traffic southbound with the Kidbrooke junction set to become a major traffic pinch point. TfL traffic modelling sees it as the site of the biggest increase in traffic congestion by 2025 across the borough.

Click here to view plans.

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