Planning consent secured for Rainbow, Raynes Park
- Category: News
- Date Published: 30th January 2026
Rolfe Judd Architects has secured planning consent for the redevelopment of the former Rainbow Industrial Estate in Raynes Park for Fairview New Homes. The scheme transforms a closed, rail-bounded industrial site into a new residential neighbourhood defined by landscape, movement and placemaking.
The approved scheme delivers 271 new homes arranged around a generous, vehicle-free public realm known as the Green Heart, which forms the social and spatial heart of the development. Designed as a calm and inclusive destination, the Green Heart incorporates play space, seating, lawns and structured planting, while improving permeability and creating new connections through the site.
A key design decision during the planning process was the removal of a basement car park, allowing the masterplan to be reconfigured at ground level. This enabled a fully accessible, landscape-led approach that prioritises pedestrians and cyclists, supported by a clear sequence of spaces from Raynes Park station through to quieter residential edges. These include a defined gateway, a new street, a framed portal view and the central Green Heart.
The architecture responds sensitively to its context, drawing on the proportions and material qualities of nearby Victorian and Arts and Crafts buildings without resorting to pastiche. A placemaking narrative inspired by the area’s historic association with rye fields is embedded within the landscape strategy and architectural detailing, helping to establish a distinctive identity for the neighbourhood.
Homes have been designed with a strong focus on liveability, daylight and inclusive access, including 10% wheelchair-accessible dwellings. The scheme has been carefully developed to address the site’s proximity to the railway, with detailed technical consideration given to noise, vibration, overheating and ventilation.
Sustainability measures form a core part of the consented proposals, including a fabric-first approach, a communal air source heat pump system, rooftop photovoltaic panels and extensive green roofs. Circular economy principles have informed the demolition and construction strategy, with materials such as crushed foundations, blockwork and brickwork reused within new groundworks where feasible.
The scheme was informed by extensive pre-application engagement and public consultation, ensuring the final proposals respond to both local aspirations and planning policy. Resolution to approve has been secured subject to S106 and GLA stage 2 being signed
