Ballymore's 'Illegal' Car Park Looks Set To Be Approved

Dock Road building was put up without planning consent

Dock Road car park

The nine-storey car park built by Ballymore on Brentford High Street looks set to get retrospective permission.

The building on Plot G of the Brentford Waterside development to the south of Morrisons was put up without consent but planning officers are recommending that the borough planning committee grant temporary approval at a meeting on 7 January.

Ballymore was given permission for a temporary car park of 150 spaces at a different site but went ahead with the construction of the nine storey building and included the parking spaces there.

The developer unilaterally decided that it would be more sensible to provide temporary parking at Plot G, which is at the perimeter of the wider site instead of Plot J which is in the middle of the site. They claimed this would limit potential conflicts between users of the car park and construction work and access to other development plots.

An application to regularise the position was due to be considered last June but has only now reached the planning committee.

Retrospective permission is being sought to retain the existing car park building for up to five years. The building is located on the site where a mixed-use development of retail, commercial, leisure and residential uses, and nearly 900 homes is being built.

The car parking was originally required to be on Plot J up until a permanent car park (of up to 606 spaces) was built on Plot G. They have subsequently submitted an application to have a mural painted on the concrete structure in an attempt to make it less of an eyesore.

The existing unfinished concrete structure which was commenced without permission, will be incorporated within a permanent building for Plot G

The planning officers are recommending approval of the application as they say it satisfies the intent of the planning obligation to provide temporary car parking in the town centre up until the completion of the permanent building on Plot G.

In September the planning committee approved a mixed use building on Plot G with 30 flats, retail space and 519 car parking spaces as well as stacked boat storage. The 519 car spaces within the multi storey car park are proposed to be split between residential (372 spaces) and retail (147 spaces). It was specifically not agreed at that time to allow Plot G to be used as the temporary car park.

Access for vehicles to the car park would be from Montgomery Lane (off Brentford High Street). It is understood that the permanent scheme would be commenced in 2022 and completed by 2025.

On completion of the building on this site it is calculated that Ballymore will have to pay a Community Infrastructure Levy of £4,484,494.85.
There were over fifty objections to the building on Plot G including from Transport for London which argued that such a large provision of parking would be bad for local air quality. The restriction of the temporary car park to 150 spaces followed these objections.

January 1, 2021