The National Physical Laboratory (NPL) has submitted a planning application for the "Construction of a Modular Office Building and a Modular Toilet building" at its site on Teddington's Hampton Road.

NPL proposes that both new buildings will be single storey and located at the junction between Stanton Avenue and Petavel Road. 

The NPL is the national measurement standards laboratory of the United Kingdom.

It is an extensive government laboratory within the UK and has a prestigious reputation for its role in setting and maintaining physical standards for British industry. 

NPL's site is of substantial size and is situated within a developed area consisting mainly of residential buildings with Twickenham to the North, Hampton hill to the west, and Bushy Park to the south.

An application document submitted by DHP said: "The proposed development site is situated outside the designated boundaries of both the Bushy Park Conservation Area No. 61, as identified by the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames (LBRUT), and the Bushy Park Archaeological Priority Area (APA), as defined by the Greater London Archaeological Advisory Service (GLAAS).

"Located in the northwest quadrant of the NPL Estate, with access from Petavel Road, the site is sufficiently distant from Bushy House (Grade II* listed), which lies to the south, ensuring that its setting and significance remain unaffected."

It added: "In order to comply with health and safety legislation, HSE guidance and good practice, there is a need to ensure appropriate management of contractors and control of works across the NPL Teddington site. 

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"Following a number of events, including a serious injury to a contractor during an un-permitted lifting operation, NPL recognises a need to improve the current control of works scheme across the Teddington site.

"The introduction of a Control of Works (CoW) function responsible for the whole site is required to ensure workplace safety by identifying hazards and controlling the risks to as low as reasonably practicable in accordance with industry good practice and the hierarchy of risk control." 

NPL hopes to begin work on the new buildings in August this year and to finish in September.

Richmond Council is yet to make a decision.

You can view the full application here.