Developers faced a grilling as they presented renewed plans to build 705 homes on Tolworth’s Toby Jug site – more than a decade after designs first surfaced.

Surrey Comet:

The plans include the development of a town square 

European investment firm Meyer Bergman aims to build the homes on the site in Hook Rise South near Tolworth station. It will also build a doctor’s surgery, nursery, convenience store and 356 car parking spaces.

It presented its second planning application at a Development Control Committee pre-decision meeting at the Richard Mayo Centre, in Eden Street, last night. A previous application was rejected in March due to its “scale and density”.​

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The renewed proposals, developed by architecture firm JTP, include the removal of the two tallest blocks, which were 15 and 18 storeys in height, and the creation of a town square.

Marcus Adams, managing partner of JTP, said: “We’ve gone and looked at the area. I looked at Tolworth, at its character.

“We’ve taken those buildings out and we’ve opened up the square. We believe hopefully the changes around the station will have a real benefit.

“The new square we think is a real opportunity within the site.”

Surrey Comet:

The view of the Toby Jug site from the A3

Transport for London (TfL) said the application fit with its plan for London, and that any traffic concerns had been alleviated.

But residents and councillors questioned why the number of homes – 705 – had not changed from the previous application.

Former ward councillor Rolson Davies said: “Fundamentally there is no change to what they were previously asking for apart from tweaking at the edges.

“It doesn’t address the fundamental issue of the scale and density of the site.”

Alexandra councillor Ian George said: “We’ve still got the same application, the same numbers. How can we be sure that those 705 homes can all fit into this layout? What we have got is nicer drawings.

“It isn’t in keeping with this area, the density is a huge issue. Are you going to force us to have a controlled parking zone? Otherwise that TfL result doesn’t mean a thing.”

Councillors on the committee were not allowed to comment for procedural reasons, but did question the developers on air quality, density and why they had chosen only to submit an outline application.

Previous owners Tesco submitted their first planning application for the Toby Jug site in 2005, but struggled to gain planning permission for almost a decade amid fierce opposition from residents.

Michael Hope, of Hook Rise North, said: “I don’t like any of this proposal, I don’t like the way it’s been brought forward. Is it actually quite new? They’ve stuck to 705 units.”

The application will be decided at a Development Control Committee meeting at the Guildhall on Wednesday, July 6.