FOI - Development of the Kneller Hall site [May 2023]

Your request 

Kneller Hall, 65 Kneller Road, Twickenham, TW2 7DN

Has Richmond Council approached the Mayor of London or GLA to explore ways of 
buying or developing the Kneller Hall site in Twickenham so that it could build new 
homes and provide the major new public park outlined in the planning brief?

Such as applying for funding under the Homes for London Scheme etc, to help fund the land purchase cost, etc. Therefore, could I have all the relevant emails of the case so we can understand what has gone on, between Richmond Council, the Ministry of Defence (MOD), and the Mayor of London, GLA regarding this matter.

This MOD site has now been sold to a private school for £21m. However, we are keen to explore why large housing sites are being lost in London, especially in the borough with the lowest level of affordable housing delivery, and feel that it's in the public interest to find out what has gone on in this case.

Our response

1. We have previously released to you the extent of information exchange between the GLA and LB Richmond relating to Kneller Hall which included the following:

• 31 January 2019 LB Richmond updates 
• Homebuilding Capacity Fund – what to achieve?
• Public sites where optimisation can be realised
• Stag Brewery Site
• Kneller Hall (MOD site) – 50% affordable

In terms of site allocations, many have been rolled forward from the adopted Local 
Plan and the Twickenham Area Action Plan (there is also a schedule of sites not 
being taken forward as Site Allocations).

Some of the existing site allocations have been updated - including Kneller Hall. The MOD has disposed of the site and it is now owned by Dukes Education who will be bringing the site forward as a new upper school for Radnor House (who will retain their existing site in Cross Deep in Twickenham, expanding to create a junior school). 

The Council have not applied for any of the Mayor’s funding to support a purchase or 
redevelopment.

2. We therefore do not hold emails within the scope of your request. Please note the
attached letter in relation to Local Planning Authority reference: 22/3004/FUL

If you have any further questions relating to this matter, please contact us, quoting
reference MGLA250523-8281.