Waitrose West Ealing Set for Redevelopment
John Lewis Partnership intending to submit planning application for flats
Waitrose, West Ealing. Picture: N Chadwick
Plans for a major development at the West Ealing branch of Waitrose have been announced by the John Lewis Partnership.
The scheme is one of three proposals announced by the retailer which marks a significant move into build-to-rent housing.
Flats are to be added above the West Ealing store which will be retained and managed by the group. They would be available on short and long term leases and would be furnished by John Lewis. The schemes would have shared spaces and facilities such as roof gardens and fitness studios.
Waitrose has been at the current site on Alexandria Road since September 2005 having been at an nearby location since 1987.
Chris Harris, property and development director at John Lewis, said in an interview that proximity to the Elizabeth line was one of the key reasons for choosing the West Ealing store as one of the first sites for redevelopment.
A spokesperson for Waitrose told us, "The proposal would be to build a temporary shop and once that is complete and trading we would take down the current store and then rebuild it with homes above. The temporary shop would be in pace for at least 18 months. The new shop will be around the same size it is now, but vastly improved for customers.
"We are in the early stages of introducing the idea of housing on the site so it’s too early to discuss the number of homes, however our aspiration would be to provide a few hundred homes in total across the three sites we announced yesterday."
The statement says that the three projects announced on this week are the first stage of the company’s intention to build 10,000 housing units over the next decade with half coming from its own portfolio. They anticipate 40% of its profits coming from its property business by 2030.
A similar scheme is being proposed for a store in Bromley as well as a warehouse site in Reading.
John Lewis Partnership says it will start a process of holding several rounds of public consultation over the coming months.
During the week commencing 20 June local residents should receive a leaflet inviting them to a public exhibition.
This will give them the opportunity to speak to the project team and provide their feedback.
The exhibition takes place:
• Friday 1 July West Ealing Community Library, Melbourne Avenue, W13 9BT - 4pm-8pm
• Saturday 2 July West Ealing community Library, Melbourne Avenue, W13 9BT - 10am-2pm
There will also be details of a dedicated project website and phone line for them to contact the company and register their views in the event they are unable to attend.
Detailed designs will not be shown until after feedback to these consultations has been considered and a planning application will be submitted next year.
Nina Bhatia, Executive Director for Strategy and Commercial Development at the John Lewis Partnership, said, “Everything people love about our brand - quality, trust and service - we want to bring to the experience of renting a home with us. Our role as developer and operator, as well as an already established local business and employer, signals our ambition to bring long-term value to each of these communities. Helping to create homes has always been at the heart of what we do and we now have a unique opportunity to use our expertise and skills in new ways to deliver much-needed new housing.”
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June 9, 2022
