Two applications, which aim to jointly deliver 2,150 homes in Hounslow, were approved by his department on Monday (11 December). The proposals consist of two schemes, one for 1,677 homes designed by JTP and one for 473 homes (164 designated affordable) designed by Patel Taylor, submitted in 2020 as an outline and full planning application respectively.
The proposed housing developments feature 16 blocks of up to 17 storeys on the site of a former Homebase and Tesco on Syon Lane in Hounslow, for Berkeley and M&G joint venture St Edward Homes.
Gove’s decision overrules a recommendation by the Planning Inspectorate to refuse both neighbouring schemes on the grounds that they are too large in scale, and collectively form an ‘incongruous, monolithic wall of development’.
Source:JTP (taken from planning documents)
JTP’s proposals for part of a now-approved 2,150-home development in Hounslow
Hounslow Council made a resolution to grant permission for the applications in spring 2021, before they were both called in by Gove in November 2021.
Following a public inquiry, the planning inspector concluded the schemes should be refused.
However, Gove went against the advice to wave the applications through.
In a decision letter published on Monday, the secretary of state agreed with the planning inspector that most of the scheme would exceed the indicative heights shown on a masterplan ‘by some considerable margin’.
But the letter added: ‘This does not mean that taller development on the site is necessarily inappropriate.’
Source:Patel Taylor (taken from planning documents)
Patel Taylor’s proposals for part of a now-approved 2,150-home development in Hounslow
Gove goes on to reject the inspector’s claims that the scheme would create an ‘incongruous, monolithic wall of development’, or that it would ‘result in significant harm to the character and appearance of the area’.
The letter concludes: ‘Overall, the secretary of state considers that the development would not appear excessively large in its context but would rather create a gateway position on GWR and create an appropriate transition in scale to the residential areas on Syon Lane.
‘Unlike the inspector, he finds that there would be moderate harm to the character and appearance of the area.’
Hounslow council’s planning officers, who had also recommended both applications for approval, described the 1,677-home JTP scheme as ‘a major opportunity for regeneration of an underutilised brownfield site’, with the capability to ‘deliver a high-quality residential-led scheme’, despite the ‘very high density’ of housing proposed.
The JTP scheme had received 506 objections during a first round of consultations and 330 objections during a second round. Objectors said the buildings were too big and would ‘dominate the skyline’ in the suburban area, ‘dwarfing’ heritage buildings in the Osterley conservation area.
And officers said, despite its similar high density and large scale, the Patel Taylor scheme would ‘comprehensively redevelop the site’. The scheme received 490 objections in a first round of consultations and 333 in a second round.
Gove intervened in the planning process ahead of a further planning application, which would have seen one of the sites developed into a five-storey commercial storage site, according to the letter.
Rob Perrins, chief executive of Berkeley Group, said the company was ‘delighted the secretary of state has backed the redevelopment of these underused brownfield sites and we can now take this very complex project to the next stage’.
He added: ‘Decisions of this nature will give businesses the confidence to invest in the UK.’
Source:Patel Taylor (taken from planning documents)
Patel Taylor’s proposals for part of a now-approved 2,150-home development in Hounslow ( view of the proposed residents’ gardens at podium level)
https://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/news/gove-overrules-council-to-approve-major-west-london-housing-scheme
