College for the Learning Disabled Approved for CP House
Major redevelopment proposal for building still in the planning pipeline
CP House on Uxbridge Road. Picture: Facebook
July 30, 2026
A new state-funded specialist college for young people with learning disabilities on a floor of the existing CP House building has been given the go ahead. It is not clear what implications this has for the redevelopment proposal for the Uxbridge Road site which is still awaiting consideration by Ealing Council’s Planning Committee.
The council granted prior approval for the Royal Mencap Society to convert part of the fourth floor of CP House from office use to an educational facility. The decision was made under national permitted development rules which allow certain office-to-education changes without a full planning application. No objections were received, and the council concluded that the proposal met all transport and noise conditions required.
The new college will host 24–30 learners aged 16–25 with Education, Health and Care Plans, supported by around 11 staff. Mencap says the site will provide a calm, small-scale learning environment and will form part of its national network of specialist training academies aimed at helping young people with learning disabilities gain skills, confidence and paid employment.
The separate, much larger application — reference 260282FUL — proposes the phased demolition of the existing 12-storey office block and its replacement with a 19-storey mixed-use tower containing 632 student bedrooms, new workspace, landscaping and public realm improvements. That application remains under assessment, with no officer’s report yet published and no committee date confirmed.
The redevelopment proposal represents a major shift from the site’s previously approved scheme. In 2022, Ealing Council granted permission for a 13-storey office-led development, a consent that remains valid until 2027. The applicant now argues that the post-pandemic office market has changed so dramatically that the earlier scheme is no longer viable, and that student accommodation is needed to meet rising demand from institutions such as the University of West London and Imperial College London.
The proposed buildings view from Uxbridge Road as shown in planning documents
The new 19-storey proposal has already attracted around 50 objections. Residents and campaign groups, including Stop the Towers Ealing, warn that the area risks becoming oversaturated with student housing. Within a short walk of CP House, two other Purpose Built Student Accommodation (PBSA) schemes — Exchange Plaza (504 beds) and 42 Hastings Road (412 beds) — are either approved or under construction. If all proceed, the cluster would accommodate more than 1,500 students.
Supporters of the redevelopment say it would replace an ageing office block, deliver modern workspace, relieve pressure on the private rented sector, and improve the public realm along Uxbridge Road. They also note that the 2022 consent established the principle of a tall building on the site.
The Mencap approval does not determine the outcome of the larger redevelopment proposal. Under permitted development rules, the council was required only to assess transport, noise and contamination impacts for the fourth-floor change of use.
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