Goldstein Heather submits infill housing scheme for Streatham garage site

The application proposes the demolition of 21 ‘underused’ post-war garages on Leaf Grove, to be replaced by six houses: two pairs of three-storey, three-bedroom homes, and one pair of two-storey, two-bedroom homes.

The practice says the scheme addresses the local need for family-sized homes, but it is constrained by several factors, including poor public transport links and the proximity of a conservation area and a locally listed house.

Goldstein Heather designed the scheme to reinforce the established street character, positioning the larger, Art Deco-inspired family-sized homes to face the street, while the two smaller mews homes are set at the back of the site, closer to the conservation area.

The loss of garage space and car parking provision has been addressed by the proposal of a car club membership for all residents, whereby occupants share a number of communal vehicles so reducing the need for on-street parking.

Goldstein Heather noted that most of the garages on the site are being used for storage rather than parking, which it said ‘reflects changing car ownership patterns’.

The practice said: ‘The project demonstrates how modest, planning-led densification can bring neglected brownfield land back into use, delivering family-sized homes and density that sit comfortably within a suburban context.’

The application has been drawn up with input from Lambeth Council, and the scheme has been designed to ‘repair the street scene’ while reinforcing the ‘established rhythm of Leaf Grove’.

Project data