Latchmere Lane residents have placed a banner reading No Road Through Here on the perimeter fence of Latchmere House, writes Ben Naylor.

The protest is in response to Berkley Homes’ plans to build a road for new houses on the site.

A petition has already been signed by 150 residents opposing the plans.

Latchmere Lane resident Andree Frieze said: “The end of Latchmere Lane nearest the House has cars parked either side making it a single lane road that still needs traffic-calming measures because it is used as rat run.”

Richmond Liberal Democrat Councillor Sir David Williams said: “We have always been sceptical about Berkeley Homes reasons for proposing a second entrance from Latchmere Lane.

“It doesn’t make much sense in planning terms, particularly as the two main entrances to the Royal Park Gate site (ex-British Aerospace) on Richmond Road both serve well over 100 houses each and this will only be 89 homes.”

Latchmere House which is on the border of both Kingston and Richmond boroughs was once a hospital for shell-shocked World War 1 officers and later acted as an interrogation base for Nazi agents.