Brentford becoming Croydon?
I do hate the phrase ‘Landmark development’ used so frequently by the developers battling to build ever more high-rise buildings in Brentford. ‘Landmark development’ is quite literally ‘buildings big enough to be used as landmarks’. Those 1960’s concrete council tower blocks are landmarks, but not exactly one the council can be proud about. And interestingly, on discovering quite how ugly they were after they had been built, the council rightly said these towers could not be used as a precedent for further tall buildings. However every single developer points to them as setting the precedent for Brentford going high rise.Landmark developments stick out like a sore thumbs amidst the low rise Victorian and Edwardian property that is the real Brentford. According to the article on the Lionel Road development, ‘If all the schemes with consent in Brentford were fully built and occupied, the population of Brentford would increase by over 40%’. That’s just the schemes that already have consent!! How many sore thumbs do we actually want?If you take a look at the artists image of the Lionel Road development you’ll see some of the games developers play to get these landmark developments past council planners: The artists image is taken at a considerable distance from the buildings to downplay their sheer bulk, the Victorian water tower is included in the foreground to dominate the image and draw your eye from the proposal, the Jet petrol station is prominent to subconsciously increase the rundown feel of an area needing new life, there are absolutely no Victorian or Edwardian houses of Brentford proper to be seen, and there are only 2 cars on the road – even though 950 more flats will increase the car population of Brentford by oh about 950 cars!This high rise Croydonisation of Brentford is getting out of control and transforming a low rise borough into a Landmark of vulgarity and monstrosity.
Lorne Gifford ● 4515d6 Comments