High Lane Estate To Be Demolished
Council confirms plans for over 500 flats and houses on Hanwell site
The estate as it is now. Picture: Ealing Council
An estate described as being in “desperate need of redevelopment” will be demolished and replaced with 500 homes, Ealing Council has confirmed.
Hanwell’s High Lane Estate is a prefabricated 1960s development with 250 homes; said to be riddled with damp, mould, flooding and anti-social behaviour.
A 2018 ballot saw 90 per cent of residents in support of the redeveloping the dilapidated estate.
Once completed, the new estate will contain 57 three-story terraced homes and 448 apartments, featuring a community building and shop.
A new road will run through the estate – complete with cycle route and landscaping.
Ealing Council planning officer Tiago Jorge recommended the development to the planning committee 21 July, who went on to vote unanimously in favour of the first phase.
He said, “This estate is in desperate need of investment, it suffers from significant physical and environmental deficiencies, and social problems, that have led to significant adverse effects on residents.
“This includes buildings with poor sound and thermal insulation, resulting in houses affected by cold damp and mould
“There is also low passive surveillance, which encourages anti-social behaviour.”
CGI of how the estate might look after redevelopment
Developers Rydon Construction Ltd estimate the build will take five years.
On completion, 550 homes should be on the site, more than double the original 250, with 50.7 percent going for private sale and 49.4 percent affordable.
There will be 142 social rent households for existing households who wish to stay.
A total of 20 percent of the homes will be family-sized three and four-bed homes.
Mr Jorge explained that current estate residents in the first phase of the development will have to move away during construction.
He added, “They will face the brunt, it’s best that can be done in these circumstances.”
A single nearby resident attended the meeting to object to the scheme’s visual impact on the local area, complaining that public consultation took place during a national lockdown.
The council has been approached about the housing plan for the remaining 72 council tenants.
Josh Mellor - Local Democracy Reporter
July 26, 2021
