15th September – Building Design – House of Lords pushes for bird-safe glass requirement in England’s new buildings
While Berkeley and their consultants plan tower blocks next to a designated woodland nature reserve, peers back amendments to the Planning and Infrastructure Bill to mandate wildlife-friendly building features, including glazing to prevent bird collisions.
2nd September 2025 – MyLondon – Developer removes affordable homes from plan and adds 57 more flats
St William, part of the Berkeley Group, appears to have backtracked on a promise of building affordable housing by submitting a fresh plan to construct on the former Mitcham Gasworks with all affordable units removed.
20th August 2025 – BBC – Empty Homes Crisis
Approximately 265,000 houses in England have been vacant for more than six months and are classified by the government as long-term empty.
According to the BBC, using FOI requests and data from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Kingston has one of the highest rates of long-term empty homes.
Is the solution to the housing crisis to build on Metropolitan Open Land surrounded by Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation?
13th August 2025 Kingston Society’s Position
The Kingston upon Thames Society, founded in 1962 and affiliated to the Civic Trust, is Kingston’s major voluntary and independent organisation concerned with planning and conservation. The Society has no statutory right of consultation.
The mission of the Society is to promote high standards of planning, conservation and design in the Royal Borough. Following the third consultation, the Society has stated its position.
21st June 2025 – BBC – Lime bikes dumped in rivers ‘posing pollution risk’
Hundreds of Lime e-bikes have been dumped in rivers and canals since hire schemes were introduced across England – raising concerns about pollution and flooding. Berkeley homes wants to open up the Beverley Brook and promote the use of e-bikes.
17th December 2024 – House of Lords Library – Noise and light pollution: What’s the harm?
Noise and light pollution can be harmful to both humans and wildlife. This briefing looks at their effects and how noise and light are regulated.
4th October 2024 – Sevenoaks Town Council – Refusal of planning Application
Sevenoaks Town Council recommends refusal of latest Sevenoaks Gasholder planning application, with new concerns of water contamination
7th August 2024 – The Guardian – Death toll for birds hitting buildings may be over 1 billion a year in US – report
Only 40% of birds survive collisions with windows, researchers say, suggesting that mortality rates are far higher than previously thought. So let’s build tower blocks next to nature reserves and Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation.
The Motspur Park Gas Holders Development: Get Involved! 