Concerns Raised Over Hogarth Business Park Development

Both private and affordable housing proposed for the site

Chiswick councillors have voiced concerns over the proposal for mixed residential development at Hogarth Business Park.

A total of 174 dwellings comprising family houses and an 'intermediate' scheme of affordable apartments have been proposed by the developers Berkeley Group in a joint venture with Prudential.

Situated close by the Hogarth roundabout on the Great West Road, with an entrance on the A316, the business park is currently owned by Prudential Life Fund and despite extensive marketing has been only 50% occupied for some time.

A project team representing the developers told the Chiswick Area Forum meeting last week that they were planning a terrace of five-bedroom three-storey homes adjacent to Paxton Road, and blocks of apartments for the area of the site bordering the A4.

The development will have a 3,500 square feet 'orchard' park landscaped area as an amenity space for residents, in keeping with its historical use as an orchard.

Councillor Adrian Lee asked if any of the apartments would be 'social housing' as he was concerned about social division. He said he found the design unattractive and said the concrete style exterior of the apartment blocks was "very 1970s", and it reminded him of an east German bunker. This style was not in the character of Chiswick which was mainly Victorian and Edwardian. The meeting was told there would not be 'social housing' in the development.

The current plans envisaged 131 flats and more than 40 houses. Three of the apartment blocks would be private three-storey buildings, four would be 4-5 storeys high. A total of 30% would be "intermediate" but not social housing. The team could not tell councillors how much the apartments would cost at this stage.

Asked by councillors about the effect of extra traffic and parking requirements in the area which was already very busy, the meeting was told that all the houses and flats would be provided with their own parking spaces either at ground or basement levels and all parking would be contained within the development site. The completed scheme would generate approximately 50% less traffic than the site does currently. The spokesman for the developers said this was the result of a close look at traffic movements for a twenty year period.

If the scheme proceeded, construction would take about two and a half years.

The provision of ' intermediate' accommodation was in line with the pledge by Mayor Boris Johnston for more affordable homes in London. Buying in the ‘intermediate’ market, offers the option of low-cost home ownership products while giving people the same freedoms and flexibility as those buying on the open market.

Asked what the Community Infrastructure Levy would be likely to yield (the charge which replaced the S106 payments to offset the downsides of development), the meeting heard it was likely to be in the region of £900,000, but this was likely to go to the GLA.

A spokesman for the developer said ; "We were grateful for the opportunity to present to the Area Forum and will be responding to the specific points raised by Members.

"We will also be undertaking a public exhibition at The George & Devonshire to update local residents about the submitted plans and will provide everyone in the local community with the date soon."

May 28, 2013