Forum Topic

Alpha Laval site to be converted to 190 flats

With the current over development of Brentford, I just can't believe it. My friend in the construction industry states it is full of asbestos for starters, although that is conjecture at this time. .Right on the A4/M4 corridor, you couldn't make it up!

Steve Allum ● 2183d22 Comments

Yes, Bad choice on my part it was supposed to be just Westminster.  K&C blow hot and cold on a raft of issues a bit like H&F

Raymond Havelock ● 2039d

I wouldn't hold Kensington and Chelsea up as any 'role model' for planning.They are currently promoting for approval by Khan's office some hideous over-developments around Warwick Road and on Cromwell Road against the wishes of local residents.

N V Brooks ● 2039d

If Westminster and Chelsea and Kensington can vociferously reject and oppose some of the more unsatisfactory planning proposals and get their way, why is it so different for Hounslow to make a stand. Yes the Mayor of London my be a Labour one but his advisors are poor and his obsession with quotas is not creating proper homes for people to live properly in.He is a typical lawyer, slippery and all about showboating rather than proper pragmatic achievement.Surely what's best for this district should be paramount and not be afraid to be more vociferous in opposing developments.Even when LBH does not recommend permissions, it seems all to often to be a bit half hearted and the divisions between east and west of the ruling administration seem to scupper any cohesive will.

Raymond Havelock ● 2039d

Yes. it was a big disappointment when Hyundai ceased development of their showroom/workshop.Planners tell me they have heard nothing more since refusing the 'prior approval' application to turn it into flats.The commercial property market seems pretty moribund at present, though the pundits are predicting a recovery in 2020 in central London at least.

Guy Lambert ● 2039d

Thanks all.Hopefully someone can put it to some useful purpose soon.

Tony Griffiths ● 2041d

.... as Guy says it was Hyundai, and not Kia, who were planning a car showroom.

Jim Storrar ● 2041d

An application for "prior approval" for conversion to 190 flats was rejected by LB Hounslow in October 2019. Planning regulations state, unfortunately, that offices can be converted to residential use without the need for a full planning application. LB Hounslow issued their refusal on the basis that the previous office use had been abandoned and that, in any case, work had started on converting the building to a car showroom for Kia. It is possible that the applicants will appeal the decision but it doesn't appear that they have done so yet.What should this site be used for? Amongst other issues there is the great, and growing, concern about the impacts of air pollution on human health. Would a full planning application for flats be acceptable, or should they be "shielded" by business use on that part of the site facing the A4 and M4, or is residential use unacceptable on any part of the site?The draft of the Great West Corridor Local Plan describes the sort of development that would be considered appropriate on just about every commercial site along the length of the A4. One of the few exceptions was the Alfa Laval site, presumably because LB Hounslow then had no reason to think that Kia would pull out of their proposal for a car showroom.I declare a personal interest in that this plastic-shrouded beauty is the first thing we see every morning when we pull back the curtains.The nearby vacant site, on the SW corner of the junction between Ealing Road and the A4, may be the next one to think about. Planning permission was granted in 2017 for office development up to 13 storeys/46 metres high. In 2019 the site was put on the market with "potential for residential or student accommodation".

Jim Storrar ● 2041d

No news - have asked planning if anything is going on. I met with the planning officer back in September and I believe the 'prior approval' application to turn it into flats was refused, though there is nothing on the planning portal.In the end, it's up to the landowner what he wants to do with it. I believe that is Hyundai.

Guy Lambert ● 2041d

Hi All -I'm just wondering does anyone have any recent news on the Alfa Laval development?Been some months now since last year's work was abandoned, and this empty shell of a building continues to stare down at us..  Wondering what its eventual destiny is likely to be. Thanks! Tony

Tony Griffiths ● 2042d

Where Church St. was concerned it most definitely was NOT democracy. The consultation was responded to by over 700 people 72% of whom voted AGAINST closing it. If in a democracy the majority carries the day then this certainly wasn't a shining example.

Vanessa Smith ● 2178d

This is the way things progress. It is democracy British democracy the envy of the world?

Nichols Beard ● 2178d

Whether it was last in use in the 90's or 80's shouldn't make any difference in terms of the planning concept of 'abandonment'.

Adam Beamish ● 2179d

Let's not forget though that officers recommended APPROVAL for Park Rd. allotments and it was the amount of pressure and effort from local people that persuaded the members of the planning committee to refuse it. And in spite of the Duke and his ambition he also lost the planning inquiry, the only member who bothered to show up at that was Cllr. Louki. Now we have the Leader meeting with Northumberland Estates and being very cagey - to put things politely - about letting local people know what the hell they are chatting about and wittering about an extra six months lease to the allotment holders, and satisfactory conclusions! Satisfactory for whom one wonders? We can only hope that committee members have their backbones with them on 5 September when the application for The George Inn comes up. A lot of local concern about the traffic implications - yet it is to be recommended for APPROVAL - quelle surprise, it appears nothing has been learned from the appalling Church St. debacle that still reverberates with local residents several years down the road.

Vanessa Smith ● 2180d

My wife knew someone who worked for Alfa Laval in the 1990's. She believes they relocated in the mid 90's. So was last used for offices in 1996 and not 1986 as stated in the application. Whether this would make any difference I'm unsure.

Steve Allum ● 2180d

Vanessa I'd appreciate you actually taking some notice of the facts about planning. We regularly reject developer proposals - Sarah trimmer at least 3 times, Chiswick Curve, Citroen Garage site, corner of Power Rd and Gunnersbury Avenue, former garage at Gillette Corner (knocked back twice, maybe before committee I can't remember) and now approved at much more modest levels, Adini site and the site behind it, plus numerous proposals in Hounslow, Feltham etc just in the last year or two. Plus former Pissarro's at Chiswick Pier - rejected twice and not a dissimilar situation to O'Riordans and of course Park Road allotments.Of course, these frequently get knocked back by Inspectors, mayor or SOS and that's quite a big risk.You can be assured we will be asking questions about Alfa Laval, based on Adam's helpful input.

Guy Lambert ● 2181d

I think Steve with the requisite political will it might be worth Brentford councillors (and planning cttee members) at least asking the right bloody questions, if they keep rolling over without so much as a whimper then developers will go on chancing their arm. Surely it's worth some probing?

Vanessa Smith ● 2181d

Thanks for all the replies. I suppose if nothing can be done, then nothing can be done. The roads are going to be chaos by the A4 and York Road with 190 flats without adequate parking.

Steve Allum ● 2181d

We were just discussing this and saying - well Guy has said what Hounslow's planning officers can't do - if I were a member of the committee I'd be asking well, what can we do?Seems to me with this professional and unbiased opinion given for free that councillors should be going back to officers and seeing how far this one can fly - it surely has to be worth a punt? Let's not - as per usual - have the council rolling over for these developers. The one thing Brentford is not short of is bloody flats - and even if this cannot be stopped, the least people should be able to expect is halfway decent homes with enough space to swing the occasional cat.

Vanessa Smith ● 2182d

I'm not convinced this prior approval application is a 'slam dunk', and if I was deciding this application I'd be refusing it.Firstly contamination risks on an application site are 1 of the 4 considerations an LPA can have regard to when determining a prior approval application, and the application (which is very 'lightweight' in my view) doesn't make any attempt to appraise any such risks.Secondly, as we all know from local knowledge, the Alfa Laval building hasn't been used as offices for many years, with the application form itself acknowledging that it was last in use in 1986.That's 33 years ago, and whilst the relevant legislation does state that, to qualify for prior approval, a building needs to either have been in use as offices on 29th March 2013 or, if it was not in use on that date, used as offices when it was last occupied, there is case law where a prior approval application was refused by an LPA (and an appeal subsequently dismissed) on the basis that the office use of the building had been, in planning terms, abandoned.To me there's a very compelling case to be made that any office use of the Alfa Laval building was 'abandoned' years ago.

Adam Beamish ● 2182d

Have you ever purchased a car online?I certainly haven'tStrange that Mercedes Benz and Peugeot/Citroen through Robins and Day are investing £millions in new showrooms and the VW and Kia sites are always busy.'Smoke and mirrors' from Hyundai methinks.30m2 - not the family homes needed but nothing that LBH can do I guess.

N V Brooks ● 2182d

Since the site has actually been bought by Hyundai  from the previous owners "Ropemaker" it suggests they had serious intent. This is also what they told me - they say with a lot of car sales going online such a showroom is no longer viable.This is a 'prior approval' notification which means provided the applicant spells his name right the council has no powers to refuse, amend, insist on any infrastructure, comment on the design or receive any financial contribution. They don't even tell us very much about what's proposed but I see that many of the 'flats' are 30 sq m - about the size of an average hotel room. Lovely.

Guy Lambert ● 2182d

Sorry should read Alfa not Alpha. I just wonder whether the original car showroom plan was ever credible or were the land owners kicking the can down the road?

Steve Allum ● 2183d