Morrisons Redevelopment Goes To Planning

Planning decision to be made this Thursday

Development from the High Street

Essential Living's planning application for the redevelopment of the site containing Morrisons and the associated car park goes to Planning Committee this Thursday, April 6th. The public are welcome to attend the meeting which starts at 7:30pm at Hounslow Civic Centre.

Speakers are arranged in advance. A representative from Friends of St Paul's Recreation Ground is expected to speak in objection. The agenda and officer's report can be accessed here.

The officer's report recommends approval. 339 comments have been received, 315 objecting, 18 in favour and 6 neutral. Two petitions have been received in objection, with 368 and 1,495 signatrues* and post is still arriving.

In the Local Plan the site is listed as a retail-led mixed town centre use with a 75:25 retail to residential floorspace ratio. The officer's report says this application offers 24:76 which is acceptable.

The predominant height of Building A is 7 storeys (6 on Back Lane) with the western section rising to 10 storeys (9 on Back Lane). Building B (adjacent to the Beehive) would be 9 storeys in height (8 on Back Lane).

Building A has retail on the ground floor and mezzanine levels and parking at the second floor. Building B has retail at ground and mezzanine.

The accommodation mix is 60 studios, 73 x 1 bed, 77 x 2 bed and 11 x 3 bed making 221 flats. Two-bedroom flats are considered to be family-sized under the Local Plan.

There is a commitment to provide at least 25% of the flats at a discounted market rate DMR which will offered at discounts of between 20-45% of full market rent for a period of 19 years and 9 months after which rents will increase up to 100% and £50,000 will have to be paid towards affordable housing elsewhere. Hounslow want 100% nomination rights to these units.

The officer's report considers that "It is considered that no overall adverse impact on neighbouring amenity would result in respect of loss of sunlight and daylight."

A regular shuttle bus service ("to and from the site") will be detailed in the S106 agreement.

Visit http://planning.hounslow.gov.uk and enter P/2016/5573 in System Reference.

Friends of St Paul's Recreation Ground are asking everybody to comment on this application in the next fortnight before the officer's report is written which is expected to go to Planning Committee for a decision in April. Comments can be sent to planningcomments@hounslow.gov.uk and copied in to your local (Brentford and Syon ward) councillors.

Campaigners say the total is now 378 online and 2,691 on paper, totalling 3,069 signatures.

April 5, 2017