Planning Committee to Decide Lionel Road

Details of the majority of residential towers finalised

This Thursday sees Hounslow's Planning Committee to decide on the reserved matters regarding the residential developments (excluding the Duffy site) that are part of the Lionel Road Stadium development.

Central Southern site, from Kew Bridge station

Planning permission was granted in November 2015 for the full stadium but only for the outline of the residential development. This application discusses matters such as access, appearance, landscaping, layout and scale of the 648 residential units as well as associated parking and commercial floorspace.

Marie Rabouhans, Chair of West Chiswick and Gunnersbury Society (WCGS) will be asking members of the Planning Committee to reject the current scheme so that a more satisfactory scheme can be brought forward.

Central Eastern from new bridge

Objections from WCGS are shared by other resident groups, such as the Brentford Community Council (BCC), Strand on the Green Association (SOGA) and the Kew Society.

Marie summarises the objections thus: "WCGS objects strongly to this scheme for 648 of 910 of the residential units associated with the Brentford Football Stadium. The Society considers that the detailed proposals submitted pursuant to the outline element of the hybrid planning permission granted in June 2014 are unacceptable in many significant respects. We have studied the Report on the Agenda for the meeting on 10 December and we have written to the members of the Planning Committee pointing out that:

Capital Court

• In September, WCGS requested that this application be rejected and that the applicant be advised to submit alternative/fresh proposals that were in keeping with the adopted Design Code.

• The only changes that have since been made are very minor changes made to some of the building facades. These fail to address the issues we and other resident groups have raised concerning the negative impact of the scheme on the character and appearance of the surrounding heritage assets, including Conservation Areas and on the amenity of existing residential communities.

• The Local Planning Authority, has a duty to protect Hounslow's heritage assets and those of neighbouring boroughs and the quality of life of Hounslow's residents. It is essential, therefore that you ensure that the harm that will be inflicted on them by this scheme is reduced as far as possible.
  
  
• When the Committee was advised to approve the Outline permission in December 2013, Members were assured that significant mitigation could be achieved by sensitive, high quality design of the residential elements and by adherence to a Design Code.

• WCGS believes that the design and architectural responses proposed in this application fail utterly to achieve an appropriate level of mitigation and are significantly out of line with the Design Code and the requirements of the legislation, NPPF and London Plan". 

The planning application will be decided on Thursday 9th December 2016. The meeting takes place at 7.30pm in The Civic Centre. The full agenda can be read here.

A decision on the Compulsory Purchase Order is expected in the new year.

December 9, 2015