YMCA Redevelopment Wins Planning Application
CGI view of planned development, looking towards west of The Broadway
The YMCA on Wimbledon Broadway has received planning consent for redevelopment. YMCA St Paul’s Group alongside development partners Thornsett, architects DLA Architects and Newington Communications, are delighted to have received a resolution to grant permission from Merton Council to deliver a brand-new YMCA hostel in Wimbledon, alongside an adjoining development of 135 new homes.
In summary the final proposals will deliver:
- A new YMCA hostel comprising 121 en-suite rooms with shared kitchens on every corridor. These new facilities are designed to promote independent living, to ensure residents feel safe and secure, and to provide a significantly higher quality of accommodation;
- An improved YMCA café, gym and fitness studios for wider community use;
- 135 new homes (1 x studio, 108 x 1-beds, 25 2-beds and 1 x 3-bed), which will ultimately finance the re-development of the YMCA and support its survival in Wimbledon;
- Two flexible commercial units at ground floor, alongside the provision of public open space, which will serve to activate the street frontage along The Broadway;
- A sustainably designed building, which aims to achieve a 100% carbon reduction, through the delivery of a fabric first approach, a heat pump solution in both elements of the development, and a range of other sustainability measures.
- In order to encourage sustainable travel, residents of the development will be unable to apply for on-street parking permits. YMCA Wimbledon will also include environmentally friendly transport initiatives such as a free subscription to a car hire scheme for residential tenants, electric charging points for the four disabled car parking spaces, and plenty of on site, secure cycle parking.
The architects and the YMCA worked closely with local residents and businesses to enable a well designed building using high quality materials, and a local artist has also been commissioned to create tactile facades on the front of the building on brick work and screening.
Work is expected to start on site in 2021.
Richard James, CEO of YMCA St Paul’s Group said:
We are thrilled to have received this positive endorsement from Merton Council to redevelop YMCA Wimbledon and deliver a brand-new centre that we and our residents can be proud of. Our proposals will provide much-improved accommodation for young and vulnerable people in Wimbledon, helping them back into independent living and to lead more fulfilling lives, whilst also offering improved services and new, modern facilities for the wider community. YMCA has had a presence in Wimbledon for 150 years – about as long as the All England Club! – and planning permission for this fantastic new building will help us to continue to carry out our work here for many more years to come.
Gerard Cunningham, Executive Chairman of Thornsett, added:
Thornsett has been working closely with YMCA St Paul’s Group for the past two years to design a scheme of exemplary quality, which meets residents’ needs. We are delighted that Merton Council has given us the green light to deliver our plans, which will offer 135 high-quality homes for the borough, alongside the brand-new YMCA centre. We look forward to continuing to work closely with the YMCA, the Council and local residents to deliver the scheme and the many benefits it will offer.
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