Brentford Lock West Gets the Go-Ahead
Planning permission has been granted for the major Brentford Lock West regeneration scheme.
ISIS Waterside Regeneration has been give the go-ahead for a 6.4 hectare mixed use development which is set to transform the land surrounding the historic waterways of the Grand Union Canal.
ISIS submitted an application to redevelop the site in November 2010. The proposal outlined plans to turn the derelict buildings and vacant land into a waterside community which will encompass residential, commercial and leisure use.
Planning permission was approved at the London Borough of Hounslow Council’s ‘Sustainable Development Committee’ on Wednesday 23 March following an 18 month public consultation. The proposal includes the development of up to 520 residential homes, 35% of which will be three and four bedroom family houses and 20% affordable housing. In addition, 7,000 sq metres of commercial space aims to help create around 300 new jobs and £2 million has been earmarked for investment into health and education facilities in the area.
Hounslow’s Sustainable Development Committee unanimously approved the application and commended ISIS on its approach to community engagement and the overall design quality of the proposal.
Comments Councillor John Cooper, Chair of the Hounslow Sustainable Development Committee: “We are really impressed with the team at ISIS and can see the efforts they’ve made to get to know and work alongside not only the council officers, but the people of Brentford. We look forward to enjoying a good working relationship with ISIS as they take the scheme forward.”
Comments Julia Quilliam, director of Quilliam Properties Services in Brentford: “Local people are really passionate about Brentford. Each year thousands of us turn out to events and show our support for the town. The residential aspect of the proposed development includes larger three and four bedroom homes which this area has been crying out for and ISIS’s investment and commitment is a terrific show of confidence in the area that I hope will attract businesses back to the High Street.
“I am looking forward to seeing the vision to make Brentford a contemporary town which embraces its history become a reality.”
ISIS originally submitted a planning application in 2007 which failed on several counts including the scheme’s perceived threat to the vitality of the town centre. Since then, the developer has undertaken a full public consultation process and more than 500 people have been involved in the various stage of engagement including design workshops, drop-in-sessions, update events. ISIS has consulted and engaged with local people at public events including Brentford’s St George’s Day celebration, Brentford Festival and highlighting the consultation on BrentfordTW8.com.
Added Les Brown, a resident of Brentford Lock Island: “ISIS has made genuine efforts to engage with the residents and businesses of Brentford and to understand what we need to breathe life back into parts of our town that for almost two decades have been in need of redevelopment and investment. We hope that this development will kick-start further regeneration around the Grand Union Canal, Brentford waterside and support the ongoing regeneration of the town centre.”
Key to the proposal is the redevelopment of public realm including communal courtyards which will embrace the water’s edge and the creation of green space for residents and businesses alike, as well as private roof terraces, gardens and balconies. The plans also include the refurbishment of the bus depot located on site and the creation of streets which will connect the development with the water as well as a new bridge linking the site to the parkland across the canal – further improving the connectivity of the site to the surrounding area.
Brentford Lock West will support community uses and ISIS already has given space to the local canoe club, EDGE, in association with Brentford FC Community Sports Trust, which it hopes to establish on site on a permanent basis. Cultivate London, an urban farm which converts derelict and vacant land across London into productive food growing space, also has taken up space on site cultivating crops.
The Brentford Community High Street Steering Group’s award winning Vision for the High Street and London Borough of Hounslow’s Area Action Plan, which was formally adopted by the council in 2008, laid the foundations for a future sustainable community. ISIS says that it has developed its proposal around the Vision for Brentford which cites its waterways as a key component in the long-term growth of the town.
Comments Katie Sully, Development Director at ISIS: “We aim to connect this new neighbourhood with the waterside and strengthen the link between the canal and the town centre. The plans combine Brentford’s heritage with a modern range of homes, commercial spaces and services, which will provide the town with a competitive advantage for future generations.”
ISIS will now enter the detailed design stage of the planning process for Brentford Lock West and it is expected that construction work will begin on site autumn 2012.