Plans to replace leisure and sports facilities at the Tooting Triangle will also safeguard the future of stay and play learning activities, according the council.
A meeting on Tuesday night saw the scheme approved, which seeks to replace the 1960s artificial football pitch at the Tooting Triangle site with a “modern and upgraded” equivalent.
The existing buildings at the triangle will be revamped and modernised to offer better changing rooms, new showers, a café, publicly available toilets and a children’s recreation and play area, including an extended outdoor play area.
And a key part of the scheme will see part of the refurbished building given over for use by The Balham Amateur Boxing Club so that it can continue its important community work with young people in this part of the borough.
Council planning chairman Guy Humphries said: “These plans will ensure that not only does the triangle get a new all-weather pitch and provide a permanent home to the boxing club, it will also offer a bigger and better, secure and dog free play area for toddlers and young children, both indoors and outdoors.
"Parents and carers will still be able to bring their very young children to the triangle and continue to enjoy the supervised play facilities and socialise with other mums, dads and toddlers from the area.
The current Tooting Triangle site
“Currently the building is only open for a couple of hours in the mornings three days a week. These plans will see the facilities available every day of the week, all day, from 8am into the early evening.
“We will be addressing the flooding issues that have plagued this small corner of Tooting Common for years and which have often meant the buildings at the triangle have had to remain closed.
“This scheme covers only land that has already been built upon –all these benefits can be delivered without any loss whatsoever of any of the common’s green open space.”
Councillors have reiterated their commitment to keeping the triangle’s important children’s facilities open and available to all local parents, with fully trained staff providing stay and play sessions.
According to the council, the funding and investment to deliver the improved facilities will come from a commercial partner in return for a 25 year lease on the site, meaning no cost to local council taxpayers.
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