Last year we were all coming together to save the Wheatsheaf with some success.  Now the latest community space that could soon be turned from public space into private flats and shops is the former Tooting Constitutional Club, just down from Sainsburys at Tooting Broadway.  On Wednesday evening there was a chance to peruse some proposed plans at the site.

This thread at Tooting Online has some details and debate as does this one on Streetlife. 

TTC as it is now

On first impresssion, the proposed development does seem monstrously large in comparison to the current buildings and those adjacent, and while it does include a small unspecified “community space”, it is not clear at this stage what that might be.

You can have your say on the plans, but be quick, you need to email comments by the end of Monday 20th Oct to stefanie.mizen@eu.jll.com

What the streetscape might look like with a huge development of flats

Tooting History Group say the building apparently dates from the 18th Century, and though the site evidently needs work, wouldn’t it be better if it was developed sensitively with the community and history foremost in mind?  Wouldn’t it be great if a site like this could be retained wholly or in part for use by a variety of Tooting’s myriad community groups?   TTT would certainly be interested in using, running or helping to develop such a space.   There’s also a bowling green at the back which will largely disappear under concrete if these plans go ahead. What could we imagine that being: a new community garden?  A revived bowling green?  A pocket park?

Developers will naturally always want to maximise returns from property investments, so it’s up to us as residents to speak up, put pressure on them and the Council to ensure that development is right for the community and the site. Why not send Stefanie some thoughts? stefanie.mizen@eu.jll.com