A property developer has pledged to demolish a notorious North Cheam eyesore later this year.

Victoria House at the crossroads of London Road and Malden Road has been derelict for years and has fallen into such bad disrepair in recent months that a window tumbled down and smashed in the pavement, narrowly missing passers-by.

Developer Stonegate Homes was given planning permission for a multi-million pound redevelopment of the site last year but it was feared the plans could be scrapped after the site was put on the market in August.

However, Stonegate said the delay in the project was caused by in-fighting between Conservative and Liberal Democrat councillors over section 106 payments but that dispute has been settled.

It is thought development could start in August.

Victoria House has been empty since 2006. Since then it has gradually declined and has been subject to repeated vandalism.

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Sutton Council spent £7,000 on painting a pattern on the exterior of the building in 2012. Last year Stonegate was given planning permission to replace the building with a modern eight-storey block made up of 75 homes and shops.

Hold ups had fuelled fears the development was off the cards but Stonegate's land director James Fitzgerald said work should start in August.

He said: "We're in partnership with Home Group, a housing association.

"It will be a mixed development of private flats and retail and we're due to start work in August, we're very close to starting.

"It was in doubt because the council was very hard to negotiate with on section 106 payments, there was a lot of internal fighting between the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives, but it's on track now."

Victoria House is at the crossroads of London Road and Malden Road

Mr Fitzgerald said the building has been repeatedly targeted by vandals who have started fires and broken windows despite security guards visiting six times each day.

One episode of vandalism led to a broken window falling from the building and smashing in the pavement of London Road earlier this year.

One passer-by who asked not to be named said: "It didn't hit anyone but it could have been so much worse.

"That's a busy area for pedestrians and if it landed on someone they could have been killed."

Following the incident Sutton Council is understood to have served a notice on Stonegate ordering it to secure the building better and this work has been carried out.


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