Mayor Backs Council on Refusal of 13-Storey Chiswick Tower
Development would have included 204 co-living units on Power Road
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Concerns that the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan may overturn Hounslow Council’s refusal of an application to build a 13 storey tower block in Chiswick have proven to be unfounded.
The scheme on the corner of Power Road and Gunnersbury Avenue was for a co-living development which would have delivered over 200 co-living housing units and some residents were worried that the Mayor’s desire to increase housing stock would have trumped other reservations about the scheme.
However a letter recently sent by Jules Pipe, the Deputy Mayor for Planning to Hounslow planning officers states, “The Mayor has delegated his planning powers to me. Having now considered a report on this case (GLA ref: GLA/6543/02, copy enclosed), I am content to allow the local planning
authority to determine the case itself, subject to any action that the Secretary of State may take, and do not therefore wish to take over the application for my own determination.”
The applicant was Tiger Developments Ltd. and the architect ArchitecturePLB. They wanted permission to demolish the existing building at 250 Gunnersbury Avenue and build a mixed-use part 11, part 12 and part 13 storey building comprising light industrial flexible workspace, a cafe and 204 co-living units with associated communal shared space.
The site to be developed at 250 Gunnersbury Avenue
Co-living is a concept similar to university accommodation but for graduates and urban professionals wanting affordable accommodation and convenient on site services.
The officer from the council concluded that the plan failed to provide a mix of housing that complies with the identified need for the Borough and that what was proposed was not of an acceptable standard and lacked a sufficient affordable component. It was also felt the scheme compromised the objectives of the Locally Significant Industrial Site and would have caused harm to the character and appearance of the Strand-on-the-Green, Gunnersbury Park and Thorney Hedge Conservation Areas.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan had advised Hounslow Council of similar concerns about the proposal earlier this year but had suggested remedial action that could be taken to deal with these deficiencies.
The existing building has been vacant since November 2014 when the previous tenant departed. Attempts to lease the property or progress a viable commercial redevelopment have failed.
In 2010 an application requested that the existing building at be demolished and replaced by a six storey office building with ground and basement levels set aside for a car showroom. Permission for an 8-storey office building at the site is still live but has not been implemented.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan had advised Hounslow Council of his concerns about the proposal earlier this year. He said that the scheme did not comply with the London Plan but suggested remedial action that could be taken to deal with these deficiencies.
The existing building has been vacant since November 2014 when the previous tenant departed. Attempts to lease the property or progress a viable commercial redevelopment have failed, meaning the site has been left unutilised. In 2010 an application requested that the existing building at be demolished and replaced by a six storey office building with ground and basement levels set aside for a car showroom. The plans failed to be implemented. Permission for an 8-storey office building at the site is still live but has not been implemented.
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October 25, 2020
