Council Approves Funding for Brentford Housing Scheme

£7.25 million for rebuilding of Charlton House, Albany House, and Osier Court

A visualisation of the completed scheme. Picture: Stale Eriksen

November 2, 2023

Hounslow Council has taken a big step in a major redevelopment project in Brentford which will see 209 flats built on an estate, doubling the number of dwellings.

The project aims to deliver the new housing at Charlton House, Albany House, and Osier Court.

It promises that the plan is for all the homes to be affordable and sustainable. The neighbourhood will also see a number of other improvements including private and communal landscaped amenities for residents, 393 long-stay and 73 short-stay cycle spaces and public realm improvements such as tree planting.

The cabinet voted unanimously to approve £7.25 million in funds this week. The money will be for a Pre-Construction Service Agreement to appoint a contractor, consultants and demolition contractor.

The new homes – 20 of which will be wheelchair accessible – will consist of a mixture of 1-, 2-, 3- and 4-bedrooms. The council says a focus of the housing’s design will be on energy efficiency helping to reduce energy bills and limit the environmental impact, with a target of net zero operational carbon.

During the cabinet meeting this week, Cllr Sue Sampson said, “Residents are extremely happy they have been kept fully informed and they are very excited about this new development coming out of Charlton House which is no longer fit for purpose.”

To keep the disruption to a minimum and the community together for as long as possible, the council says it aims to move residents out as close to the start of the building works as possible. Many residents have been given the opportunity to move into the council’s new development on the High Street in Brentford; Sonnet House, Hamlet House and Tintern House.

Others have chosen to move elsewhere in the borough and have the right to return to a new home on the regenerated estate. The council says that the pre-construction agreement will help it ensure it gets the best value for money when orchestrating the preliminary stages of the development including the demolition of the old estate.

Councillor Tom Bruce, Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Development at Hounslow Council, said, “The regeneration of this estate is a top priority for Hounslow Council, residents overwhelming back the scheme and we have a robust strategy to make the regeneration of this estate a reality.

“Despite rising inflation and construction costs we have put in place concise plans to ensure we remain committed to making this happen and ensuring we deliver high quality affordable homes for Hounslow residents.

“It will be another fantastic addition to Brentford where the wider regeneration of the town centre is finally coming to life. It’s exciting to see a host of new businesses coming to the borough for the first time which every resident can enjoy.

“It’s important that every new development across the borough helps towards our ambitions for creating a thriving, greener, safer and healthier place to live, play, work and study for the whole community.”

Rory Bennett - Local Democracy Reporter