John Lewis Puts Pressure on Council Over West Ealing Scheme
Making appeal to Planning Inspector after delay in decision
Visualisation of the scheme submitted with the application. Picture: Sechi Smith& LDS
June 13, 2024
John Lewis Partnership (JLP) has informed Ealing Council that it intends to make an appeal to the Planning Inspector after the council failed to make a decision on its West Ealing scheme.
It submitted a planning application (233076FUL) last August to demolish the Waitrose store and build a new one along with 428 flats in blocks up to 20 storeys high.
The build-to-rent development, estimated to cost £240 million, would include units which would be fitted out with John Lewis products and furnishings with 83 being supplied on an ‘affordable’ basis.
JLP is making the appeal based on a ‘failure to decide’ on the part of the council. However, the council says that JLP itself had expressed a desire for a delay in the decision which was originally scheduled for 6 November last year. This is within the statutory time limit for determining major scheme applications. JLP now says it will submit its appeal on 25 June.
There has been huge opposition to the scheme from residents particularly over the height of the buildings and council leader Peter Mason has condemned it for the low proportion of affordable units.
JLP says that, despite the appeal, it still wishes to work with the council and the community ‘to deliver on a range of social and charitable initiatives’.
It insists the scheme, including the height, is compliant with the Mayor’s London Plan which encourages higher-density mixed used residential intensification for low-density supermarket sites. The height proposed is well above the council’s own guidance for the area.
Developer's drawing showing the scale of the towers in context. Picture: Sechi Smith
Katherine Russell, Director of build-to-rent at JLP, said, “We have taken the decision to appeal for non-determination of our planning application to build new rental homes nearly one year on from first submitting it to Ealing Council. Our proposals will create hundreds of homes at a time when all political parties agree there’s a desperate need for more housing and local investment to spur economic growth, with a priority on brownfield land.
“An appeal is not something we take lightly, however, we believe we have strong grounds to be successful given the opportunity to transform an under-used brownfield site close to the publicly-funded Crossrail station with new homes and investment that will benefit the wider community.”
Visualisation of the scheme looking along Alexandria Road. Picture: Sechi Smith
An Ealing Council spokesperson said, “The council has consistently raised a number of concerns with this application and the applicant has previously been keen to extend time for determination while dialogue continued to see if those concerns could be addressed.
”It is extremely disappointing that they now seem to have decided to appeal non-determination rather than wait for a local decision. Up until yesterday morning our understanding was that they were considering amendments to address our concerns.”
If the appeal is successful or Ealing Council decides to make a determination in the near future, JLP believes work could start on the site next year with a completion of the project in 2029.
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