Plans to demolish 25 homes to make way for four new tower blocks up to 15 storeys in North London have been given the green light by the council. The bulk of the new apartments will be ‘co-living’ units, with a further 100 described as affordable housing.
The scheme was approved at a recent meeting of Brent Council’s planning committee (October 16), despite a number of objections from local residents. Developers J Group and Vfund expect the construction work to take around three years to complete, however, a couple of the existing properties earmarked for demolition are not yet under their ownership.
Following approval, the development at 1-22 Brook Avenue in Wembley will involve the demolition of all 24 properties currently on the site, which mainly comprise two-storey homes but also include the four blocks – between five and eight floors – that make up Matthews Close.
The 617 total new homes will be split into four blocks, with 517 co-living units in Blocks A and B – which range from six to 15 storeys high. These will consist of private studio apartments with shared communal areas, which the developers claim will support ‘social interaction and community events’.
The additional 100 affordable homes will be spread across Blocks C and D, which have a maximum height of 9 storeys, and will comprise 70 per cent social housing and 30 per cent shared ownership flats.
Plans also show space for commercial units on the ground floors of the four tower blocks, as well as a private courtyard for residents – including play spaces for children. Developers also told the committee that the scheme will allow access to the nearby brook ‘for the first time in 100 years’.
Ward councillor, Daniel Kennelly, spoke in favour of the plans at the meeting, calling it an ‘interesting proposal’ that helps to tackle what he described the ‘housing emergency’. However, he also pointed to a number of concerns raised by local residents, namely around parking.
The development is designed to be car-free to help alleviate existing problems. Cllr Kennelly called traffic on Brook Avenue ‘a mess’, which is exacerbated by cars parking in the cycle lane. He said: “In theory we have a cycle lane, in reality we have a car park.” He also called for the planned contribution towards a Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ) on the road to be for Brook Avenue residents only.
More than 40 objections to the application were submitted to the council’s planning portal, including from those currently living in Matthews Close nearby. As well as the extra pressure the development may place on parking, they raised concerns about the possible loss of light into their homes. However, planning officers argued that the angled arrangement of the new blocks will prevent unacceptable loss of sunlight.
The committee also heard that ‘one or two’ of the existing properties in Brook Road are not yet in the developer’s control. The applicant claimed they are ‘confident’ that they would gain control of the remaining homes soon, with planning officers suggesting that Compulsory Purchase Orders (CPO) could be used by Brent Council as a last resort.
Following unanimous approval from councillors, committee chair Cllr Matt Kelcher called the delivery of 100 affordable homes ‘something really positive’. The planning consultant speaking on behalf of the developers praised the ‘significant contribution’ the scheme will provide towards both the council’s annual housing targets, as well as in Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) money for the borough.
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.
