Ex-student halls in South West London will be turned into 70 new flats after a local council approved the plans. 

Kingston Bridge House in Hampton Wick was let to Kingston University students from 1994 before the building was sold in early 2021 and replaced by new university premises in Kingston town centre.

The building on Church Grove, which is up to seven storeys tall, will be converted into 70 homes, with four set to be offered at social rent.

CGI of the proposed redevelopment of Kingston Bridge House in Hampton Wick. (Credit: Glass Canvas).

The scheme includes the removal of the building's "unsafe" concrete cladding. It will also have 21 car parking spaces.

Richmond Council's planning committee unanimously approved the scheme from Westcombe Developments on December 6.

Tom Roberts, on behalf of the applicant, said: "The existing previously unsafe building is not a valued asset to Hampton Wick and so we have a real opportunity to provide much-needed homes and indeed a case leader in sustainability and biodiversity in which the borough can point to for future conversion projects."

Councillors supported the scheme but expressed disappointment at the proposed level of affordable housing, which was independently tested and deemed as the maximum viable amount that could be delivered. 

Lib Dem councillor Julia Neden-Watts said it was "regrettable… that we can't get more affordable housing, but I understand why that is". She added the scheme will "regenerate a currently unusable building and deal with the cladding issues".

Councillors supported the scheme but expressed disappointment at the proposed level of affordable housing. (Photo Credit: Glass Canvas).

Green councillor Richard Bennett also spoke in support of the scheme and described the building as "unloved" and "a bit of an eyesore".

Documents submitted with the application said the building is "unattractive" and in "poor condition".

They added its concrete cladding will be removed as it is "unsafe from a fire perspective".