Bulldozers Arrive at Syon Lane Homebase Site
Tower at landmark store looks set to come down soon
Diggers in the former car park of the Homebase store. Picture: Chris Longhurst
November 1, 2024
A local landmark looks poised to disappear following the commencement of demolition works at the Homebase site in Brentford.
Bulldozers arrived last week at the location which is to be converted into a mixed-use development by Berkeley Homes.
It is unclear when the large steel tower at the former DIY store will be taken down but site notices indicate that the clearance project should be complete by the end of the year. The mast like structure gave structural support to the main building.
The site has been closed off by hoardings since the summer and recently notices appeared at the front gate, one of which gives a project length of 12 weeks with a start date of 16 September.
Already much of the front of the store has been removed and large piles of building waste are accumulating in the car park from the store that was built in 1979.
One local resident who observed the work commence at the site said, "Watching the bulldozers rip chunks out of such an iconic and historic local landmark definitely made me experience very mixed feelings. On one hand I agree the site was outdated and in need of modernisation, but on the other I loved the quirky airplane design of the building and always looked out for it whenever I was landing at Heathrow Airport.
"What with this and the Gillette Studios project also being underway, plus the latest work at Firestone and what is yet to come at Glaxo, the whole face of the Great West Road is changing so rapidly. In another few years I don't think many people will even recognise it!"
Site notices appeared on the front gate towards the end of October. Picture: Chris Longhurst
A spokesperson for the Osterley and Wyke Green Residents’ Association (OWGRA) said, “OWGRA has never been opposed to development on the current Tesco and Homebase sites, but remains of the view that the plans for the two sites (Tesco and Homebase) represent an enormous over-development which will be harmful to the character of the area, and where local infrastructure is already severely stretched and inadequate.
“We reiterate the views of the Planning Inspector, who in her report following a 3-week public inquiry said about the Homebase site ‘I consider that the proposal would result in significant harm to the character and appearance of the area… it seeks to maximise capacity, resulting in a proposal of excessive height, scale and mass which fails to respond to the existing character of the place. I consider that the Homebase scheme would be neither visually attractive nor sympathetic to local character and does not represent good design in its context. Having weighed carefully all the benefits they do not, in my view, outweigh the totality of the harms that I have identified.’
“OWGRA encourages those residents living close to the Homebase site who will be directly affected by the demolition and building work over the next 5-6 years to join the Community Liaison Group being set up by the developer.”
Much of the front of the store has already been removed. Picture: Chris Longhurst
We contacted Berkeley Homes on the email address given on the site notice to ask about the schedule for works including the date on which the tower is being lowered but didn’t receive a response.
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