Objections to Proposed West Ealing Schemes Top One Thousand

Developments at Waitrose and Majestic Wine sites meet huge opposition

A visualisation of the student accomodation tower from a document submitted with the planning application

October 12, 2023

Over one thousand objections have now been made to two major planning applications in West Ealing.

The borough planning committee will soon be considering both the plan by the John Lewis Partnership (JLP) for the redevelopment of its Waitrose store and a proposal for over 400 students flats on the Majestic Wine site. Both schemes include buildings of over 20 storeys high and the scale of the designs features as a basis for most of the objections many of which mention the Local Plan which designates the area as suitable for buildings between 7 and 13 storeys high. Both applications have argued that the approval of the 55 West building in the vicinity has created a precedent for taller buildings.

At the time of writing there had been 669 public comments to the Waitrose scheme. 645 were in opposition and 17 in support whilst 393 objections had been made to the Majestic scheme with just three in support.

The Majestic site scheme is a proposal by JTP and Tide Construction for 448 student bedrooms in four blocks of 21, 13, 9 and 7 storeys high at the junction of Drayton Green Road and Hastings Road incorporating the existing shops at the location close to West Ealing station. The scheme will include communal facilities for students and commercial space including a ground floor unit set aside for a coffee bar.

The partnership previously worked together to develop the Lewisham Exchange, which it says is currently the world’s tallest modular student accommodation building. The project was built through the pandemic and completed in August 2021. The 35-storey tower includes 758 student room as well as 67 affordable apartments. There is no non-student housing in the West Ealing plan.

A visualisation from the developer of how the tower will look viewed from Argyle Road

In its submission the applicant states, “There are a number of tall buildings within the surrounding area as demonstrated on the aerial opposite. A cluster of tall buildings is beginning to emerge around the new West Ealing station. This suggests that the proposed site would be suitable for a tall building and would add to the grouping of tall buildings that is focused around a key transport node. To the north west of our site, adjacent to the railway is the consented 55 West scheme, currently under construction.”

The proposed development site as it is now

JLP proposal for its site is part of its controversial move into build to rent which was initiated under the now departing CEO Sharon White. The Ealing scheme includes four blocks the highest of which will be 20 storeys high.

A visualisation of the proposed Waitrose redevelopment. Picture: Sechi Smith

Opponents of both schemes are arguing that the two schemes do not help with the housing shortage in the borough as neither will provide accommodation to anyone on the housing list. JLP has only committed to provide 19% affordable units within its development, short of the 35% set out in the London Plan. Neither of the developments has any provision for social rent units.

Concerns about height and lack of affordable housing in the JLP scheme have also been raised by the Leader of Ealing Council, Peter Mason.

Justine Sullivan and Denise Colliver, Co-Chairs of Stop the Towers a campaign group in West Ealing said, "Over 1,000 objections have been received in response to the developments proposed by John Lewis and Tide Construction - in other words a resounding no to what amounts to gross overdevelopment. Yet although the local community has overwhelmingly rejected the plans in such large numbers, this doesn’t halt the developments and there is still a long way to go in the planning process. 

“The tallest of the planned towers would be similar in height to Big Ben. West Ealing is not inner London. What’s more, neither development will deliver the type of housing that Ealing desperately needs. We urge Ealing Council’s planning department to listen to residents' concerns and reject both applications. Residents of West Ealing support appropriate and proportionate development that will genuinely benefit the local community but the plans proposed by John Lewis and Tide Construction will not deliver this in any way, shape or form.” 

JLP’s planning application for its West Ealing site (application number: 233076FUL) is available on Ealing Council’s website here.

Tide’s planning application for the Majestic Wine site on Hastings Road (application number: 233551FUL) is available on Ealing Council’s website here.