Two developments with a combined 338 new homes have been approved. The latest stage of the South Kilburn Estate redevelopment can now move ahead, with plans green-lit for the demolition of Hereford House and Exeter Court and the construction of four new buildings comprising 250 flats.
The long-awaited plans finally came before Brent Council’s planning committee earlier this week (Wednesday, August 7), including a couple of changes from the initial designs first submitted in 2021. These include revisions resulting from changes to fire regulations and a reduction in the number of social homes.
The plans were approved unanimously by the committee, despite concerns around the reduction in the number of social homes offered, as well as points raised about the loss of green space and one area’s propensity to flood.
The total 250 homes of the South Kilburn development are broken down into 116 one-bedroom, 81 two-bedroom, 29 three-bedroom, 16 four-bedroom, and eight five-bedroom apartments. Of those, 109 will be provided at social rent – 41 fewer than the site’s 150 existing social rent properties.
Council officers stated: “Whilst there would be a net loss in social rent homes, there would be a net increase in socially rented floorspace. […] In addition, the scheme includes the provision of 16 four-bed homes and 8 five-bedroom homes that have the capacity to house larger families which is a benefit given the existing site does not have any provision.”
To accommodate the additional family-sized homes, there has been a reduction in the number of affordable two and three-bedroom properties – from 72 to 48 – after an assessment determined that there was less requirement for these types of homes in South Kilburn
The last residents of Hereford House and Exeter Court moved out in 2021, they have all been decanted into alternative accommodation within the wider South Kilburn area. Residents from the South Kilburn area will be eligible to apply for the new social homes, but not necessarily to those who were decanted.
Plans to build two new ten-storey buildings comprising 88 flats at 245-249 and 253 Ealing Road in Alperton were also approved at Wednesday’s planning meeting, despite more than 80 objections by residents. The ward councillor told the committee that residents are ‘fed up with the intense development’ that’s been going on for years – such as the Grand Union redevelopment.
The site is currently vacant but was previously occupied by an MOT Centre, a former HSBC bank building, and the Plough pub. These existing two-storey buildings will all be demolished in order for the development to start.
The first of the two new buildings, Block A, will have a community facility on the ground floor with 31 residential properties spread across the rest of the nine floors. The second building, Block B, will have an ‘affordable workspace’ area and car park on the ground floor, with 57 flats above. Both blocks will comprise a mix of one, two, and three-bedroom homes – 35 per cent of which are described as ‘affordable housing’.
A previous application for a smaller-scale development at the site was granted in 2019, however, it was not implemented in time and has since elapsed. The latest plan received 84 objections, with concerns raised about the scale of the development, as well as a loss of light, impacts on transport, and a lack of supporting facilities.
One resident told the committee: “We’re not NIMBY’s. We understand there is a need for housing in Brent and in London but I don’t think this is the solution for it. Even with the investment that’s going to be made into TfL, I think the bus stops and the trains themselves are beyond their operational limit.”
Despite these issues, council officers recommended that the plan be approved. They stated that financial contributions have been sought ‘in order to address any potential shortfalls’ and pointed to the fact that TfL ‘did not raise concerns’ about the increased use of Alperton Tube Station, subject to step-free access works being completed.
As part of the scheme, financial contributions will be made by the developers with the aim of improving infrastructure in the area to accommodate new residents. These include £45,000 towards the extension of the Controlled Park Zone (CPZ), £2,000 for road signs and £10,000 for improvements to public open spaces. A further £67,166 will be paid to Transport for London (TfL) for bus service improvements, as well as £149,190 for step-free access at the Tube station.
Alperton ward councillor, Anton Georgiou, decried a series of recent developments in the area, which have made it a ‘place for people to sleep in but not live’. He claimed his ward has turned into ‘a concrete jungle with little to no community vibe’, with existing tenants already experiencing issues with the new builds.
Addressing the committee, Cllr Georgiou said: “I am here, once again, to be a voice for the residents in Alperton who are fed up with the intense development in this particular part of the ward. An area that has already had to endure years of construction works that are still ongoing causing misery to the lives of local people.”
He added: “[…] this Committee is approving new developments without recognising that most of these developments from the offset have major, inherent issues with them. You are effectively allowing residents to move into the ward and into Brent who are then forced to cope with a myriad of problems in their new homes from day one.”
The plan was subsequently approved, with a condition added to ensure that the £10,000 contribution towards improvements to public open spaces was spent specifically in the vicinity of the development – rather than borough-wide as initially outlined.
While the plan went through, there were two councillors who opted not to vote for it. Cllr Robert Johnson abstained due to concerns about ongoing issues in the area relating to overdevelopment and its impact on infrastructure. Cllr Jayanti Patel voted against the application, citing concerns about its impact on public transport and traffic.
Grant Williams is a journalist and Local Democracy Reporter (LDR) for Reach PLC, reporting on local government, politics and community issues across London. As part of the Local Democracy Reporting Service, he has contributed to Harrow Online, covering council decisions, housing developments, transport, planning matters and stories affecting local communities across Harrow and Brent.
