Residents in Richmond have expressed concerns that parking will be reduced if plans to build 12 new affordable homes go ahead.

Richmond Parish Lands Charity (RPLC) has applied for permission to redevelop a hard standing court and make extensions to existing buildings, which front onto Queens Road, to create a new four-storey build.

The four-storey building would consist of 11 one-bedroom-flats and one two-bedroom-flat and also bring the total number of new builds on the Queens Road Estate to 20.

Currently, the estate has 21 parking spaces which, according to the proposals, will reduce to 19 should the application be approved.

The proposals also include a new "multi-use recreational space" as well as improvements to the Dickson House office building and a ground floor extension to the Cambrian Centre.

But parking has been highlighted as a particular concern for residents.

Business owner, Caroline Buck, commented on the application: “I occupy one of the business units at Dickson House and it is vital that I have parking available for visiting customers.

“My business is making bespoke lampshades which means that I regularly have customers bringing in or collecting lamps and lampshades.

“Only this morning I had a customer who brought along 5 large lamps and 6 lampshades.

"Therefore it is unrealistic to request that they come along on public transport and they need to be sure that they can park close by when they arrive.”

Concerns have also been raised on the proposed development's effect on nearby biodiversity, with concerns that the development could affect animals living in nearby Richmond Park.

A spokesperson for Rolfe Judd, which has managed the application on behalf of RPLC, said: “Just to be clear there are 21 parking spaces on Queens Road which will reduce to 19, so that two spaces can be turned into blue badge bays so that people living with disabilities have access to parking.

“The housing units will be managed and run by Richmond Parish Lands Charity who will ensure that its residents access the parking bays instead of non-residents who tend to illegally park in bays owned by RPLC.

“Out of the 19 parking bays - Richmond Parish Land Charity residents will have access to ten of them and the remaining nine spaces will be retained on the site for the use of the Cambrian Center and Dickson House and there will still be an opportunity for blue badge holders to still park on surrounding roads.

“There are eight affordable housing units in Caplan Court as well as the Cambrian Centre and then you have Dickson house so we want to introduce 20 affordable housing units.

“We do not believe that every new tenant will require a parking space because most of them will move into one bedroom flats."