No Little Sister for No. 32 on Battersea Rise, say local residents

Local residents have objected to a new bar on Battersea Rise where existing venues already mean they encounter "vomit, urine and even human faeces" on an almost daily basis.

Darwin and Wallace, which owns No. 32 in Clapham Old Town, has applied to change the use of 35-37 Battersea Rise from a restaurant to a 'drinking establishment with extended food provision' called Little Sister.

The company founded by Mel Marriott has fashioned a number of bars around London into what it says are "unique spaces which sound like private addresses".

But residents oppose its application to turn the site previously occupied by Cote Brasserie into the latest of its local neighbourhood bars.

Among the 28 objections submitted to Wandsworth Council, residents have said converting restaurant space into the fourth bar on this upper stretch of Battersea Rise will increase noise disturbances, litter and anti-social behaviour already being suffered by neighbouring roads.

One resident said: "There is an ongoing, significant and negative environmental effect associated with the existing drinking establishments.

"This includes broken glass, discarded takeaway food containers and plastic drinking glasses, discarded food, cigarette butts, vomit, urine and even human faeces.

"It is very unpleasant to have to encounter these issues on almost a daily basis."

Another, on behalf of Keildon Road residents, said: "We have endured a period of overt drug dealing."

Others raised concerns about rubbish piling up, increased traffic, the impact on children's sleep and the risk posed to property values.

Many cited a case from 1996 when Brewer Greene King had its application to open a pub on the site refused.

"The relevance of the Planning Inspectorate's decision in 1996 to this application is stunningly obvious," said a resident of Keildon Road since 1974.

He said: "The Inspector nominated and supported the local residents' objections at the time.

"He was very aware of the "dense housing" adjacent, the likelihood of customers being drawn from outside the area, their illegal parking habits in spite of a parking scheme, the noise increase by pedestrian and vehicular traffic."

Responding to the objections a Darwin and Wallace spokesperson said: "The proposal is an excellent opportunity to rejuvenate the local area after the tough year and a half faced by the high street as a result of COVID-19.

"Darwin and Wallace PLC seek to create spaces which take inspiration from their locality and create bespoke, individual spaces well suited to the Town Centre within which they reside."

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