A ‘container village’ in North London has been ordered to remove a number of units from the site, putting the future of 16 businesses at risk of closure. The site operator was told the containers “fail to preserve or enhance” a local conservation area, despite nearly double the number of units already situated within the protected zone.
The Kensal Rise site currently has around 50 shipping containers, which are rented out to local business owners. They are used either to store stock or, in some cases, to operate like a mini-shop selling directly to customers. Whilst 33 containers are seen as ‘legitimate’ by the council, it is demanding the removal of 16 of them as they don’t have “the correct permissions”.
The 33 ‘legitimate’ containers have been situated on Station Terrace, at the back of Kensal Rise Station, for the past 25 years. Next door, there are a further five positioned inside the grounds of a former skip yard. However, when the skip yard was removed the operator put an additional 16 containers behind a row of houses without seeking planning permission first – it is these that Brent Council has decided must be removed.
First installed around five years ago, the containers were initially a single storey high. The site operator, Paul Evers, then decided to add a number of additional units on top – creating a second row of containers. It was this decision that prompted one of the residents living in the row of houses behind the site to make a complaint to the council.
Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), Mr Evers said: “I made the mistake of putting [additional] containers on top thinking we could have two stories and create a little village because it had got so popular. […] When the person complained the council took it seriously and sent an enforcement notice [ordering me] to remove all of the containers. […] One person has a moan and 16 businesses suffer.”
He added: “The great thing about [the containers] is they’re very versatile – you can move them around, you can adjust them. The best thing about them is that small businesses can start off in them with no expenses. You can’t take on a shop anymore, you have to sign a lease, pay rates – it commits you and if it doesn’t work out you’re f****d.”
After having received the enforcement notice, Mr Evers claims he was told he could apply for retrospective planning permission for the ‘illegitimate’ containers. The application was ultimately refused by the council and an attempt to appeal the decision also failed, with reasons cited including that the location is “predominantly residential” and the site’s impact on a designated conservation area.
Mr Evers has taken issue with the decision due to the site formerly being used for a skip business and the fact that there are more containers already positioned within the conservation area. He said: “We used to have a skip yard there, with six lorries coming in and out all day – it’s just made up.
“If you say that the containers behind the houses are out of character but the ones in full view of the road are allowed to stay – and they’re now in a conservation area which means they’re protected and become part of the fabric of Kensal Rise – that’s actually incorrect. They’re very much in character. […] Why does the council work in the way it does? Why are [they] not supporting local businesses?”
When asked whether he was going to submit another application without the second layer of containers, Mr Evers explained that he had been advised that it wouldn’t be successful. He also criticised the council for “never talking to people” or explaining its decisions. He said: “No-one will tell me why.”
In the appeals decision letter, the planning inspector stated that the containers at the upper level are “more noticeable and incongruous”. They were described as “somewhat haphazardly placed” when compared to the ground level units. As well as describing the area as “predominantly residential”, the inspector also suggested that the scheme “fails to preserve or enhance the setting of the conservation area”.
The Chairman of the Kensal Rise Business Association, Harry True, also queried why some of the containers were allowed but not others. He told the LDRS that he “couldn’t understand” the planning application being refused considering it was a “mirror image” of something that already exists close by. He said: “It’s a community asset. [The council] are potentially going to crush 16 businesses.”
A Brent Council spokesperson said: “We took action against the unlawful shipping containers in response to concerns raised by local residents. We are very supportive of local businesses as they help to make our communities thrive and it is unfortunate that the owners of the site let the containers without first seeking the correct permissions. The appeal has been rejected by the planning inspector, meaning that there is now a legal requirement to remove the containers.”
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.
