Sandringham Mews Development Given Green Light
Ealing town centre scheme will contain 308 co-living flats
A visualisation of the scheme viewed from High Street. Picture: Ealing Council
June 19, 2023
Ealing Council have approved the construction of 308 co-living flats in the centre of Ealing town. The Sandringham Mews development, on High Street near Ealing Broadway, received a mixed response from public consultations with 3 people objecting to the plans and 3 people approving of them.
Concerns around the project included fears that the site might become overdeveloped, it would create an undesirable ‘canyon effect’ on the high street, the building would be too tall and a sense that the design of the elevation could be improved. However, councillors said that the project’s plan was of a ‘sympathetic’ design specifically made to ensure there will be a minimal effect on surrounding buildings.
One of the things that Cllr Dee Martin pointed out was the varied elevation of the design which means that light on the high street won’t be obscured. The work will involve the creation of two housing blocks of varying heights ranging from three to eight stories with co-living spaces designed for communal housing.
Co-living spaces are non-self-contained with private rooms and shared facilities – similar to student halls. The rooms are described as designed for single occupants looking to stay somewhere temporary before they find a more permanent housing solution.
The plan also includes several facilities for residents including a co-working space, a gym, a shared kitchen, a cinema room, a cycle park and a cafe. There is also room for a commercial section of the housing which will include a bank, estate agents and shops.
After the plans were presented to councillors, many spoke on behalf of its approval. However, there were a few concerns about the scheme, including a lack of disabled parking. The current plan only provides one disabled bay as part of its parking offering however the committee was assured that other parking spots could be converted to more disabled spots.
Visualisation from Ealing Council of how the scheme might look from Ealing Green
Thames Water has also said that the infrastructure needs upgrading to ensure that the housing is safe for inhabitants, with the London Fire Brigade needing certain requirements in case of emergencies. Beyond these concerns, councillors praised the plan, voting to approve its construction.
Rory Bennett - Local Democracy Reporter
