OWGRA
Osterley & Wyke Green Residents' Association
Images of the 3D model commissioned by OWGRA to illustrate the imposing & out of character developments
proposed by Berkeley/St Edward on the Tesco & Homebase sites on Syon Lane
TESCO / HOMEBASE PUBLIC INQUIRY
9 September 2021
12 July 2021
Residents’ protest against overdevelopment in Hounslow
On Friday 23 July, we will be protesting outside the Holiday Inn in Brentford, where Hounslow Chamber of Commerce, in collaboration with Hounslow Council, are running a Hounslow Regeneration & Recovery Conference from 2 pm to 8 pm.
See https://westlondonlocalchambers.org.uk/event/hounslow-regeneration-recovery-conference/
In the 2-6 pm session there will be presentations from numerous developers, including Berkeley Group (the developer for the proposed horrendous Tesco/Homebase redevelopment). During the evening drinks reception, delegates will hear from the Leader of the Council (Steve Curran) and the Chief Executive (Niall Bolger).
Hounslow Chamber of Commerce supports the proposed Tesco/Homebase redevelopment as does Hounslow Council which has approved the planning applications. But they still have to be approved by the Mayor of London, and probably the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities & Local Government.
This meeting on 23 July gives us and the communities of Hounslow an opportunity to show our dissatisfaction with developers, their cosy relationship with the Council, ruining our low-rise suburbs with unsightly tower blocks and unsuitably small flats, instead of meeting the dire need for family homes, and not providing the necessary infrastructure like additional public transport, health facilities, etc.
We will have a peaceful, orderly presence outside throughout the meeting, and a bigger gathering from 6 pm.
If you do plan to come to the protest, it’s best to come by bus (235, 237, 267, E2, E8).
We look forward to seeing you at 6 pm on Friday 23 July!
(click for a bigger map)
25 July 2021
Residents’ protest against overdevelopment in Hounslow
We had a good turnout at the RESIDENTS’ PROTEST AGAINST OVERDEVELOPMENT IN HOUNSLOW on Friday 23 July outside the Holiday Inn in Brentford, where Hounslow Chamber of Commerce and Hounslow Council were running a Regeneration & Recovery Conference with presentations from the developers who generally ignore residents’ legitimate concerns, along with Council lead members and officers with a pronounced tendency to do the same.
We/OWGRA were joined by our colleagues from the Hounslow Gurdwara who are fighting their own battles with a proposed development on their car park, and they very kindly fed and watered us protestors.
We were present throughout the afternoon as delegates arrived and we had a larger gathering at 6 pm, where we heard from OWGRA about the proposed inappropriate Tesco/Homebase redevelopment at Gillette Corner, from The Green Party about issues to do with pollution, sustainability, reduction of carbon emissions, etc, and from The Isleworth Society about their battles with the Duke of Northumberland, who continues to want to build on the Park Road allotments, despite huge local opposition and despite the Council’s policy of opposition to building on designated open space (designated, that is, by the Council itself).
Why is the Council pandering to developers and ignoring residents? Developers are offered the services of the planning department to help them get their applications accepted. Why are there no services offered to residents who pay the council officers’ wages? The balance is all wrong. These greedy developers that won’t take responsibility for the mistakes they’ve made with building unsafe blocks of flats because of substandard cladding. Developers who sit back and watch as leaseholders have to pay thousands for additional insurance, waking watches and can’t sell their properties.
We need answers to our questions from Hounslow Council. We know they have homebuilding targets but that doesn’t mean that they should pander to developers while ignoring residents. They should treat us as stakeholders not as the opposition. We need them to listen to us, not to ignore us. We will continue to work hard on behalf of residents who deserve much better from their Council.
Our MP, Ruth Cadbury, still won’t get off the fence and support us, so we’re continuing to confront her via Twitter. She has claimed that for Tesco/Homebase the Council’s hand is forced by central government, but she must know that the Council itself changed the rules for these sites to require dramatically greater housing density. And if the Council’s hand was being forced, why would it not explain that to residents rather than dismissing residents’ concerns? It just doesn’t add up.
29 August 2021
The planning applications for the redevelopment of the Tesco & Homebase sites have finally been sent by Hounslow Council to the Mayor of London for his approval/refusal, and the decision will be made by 7 September.
STATEMENT FROM OWGRA re MAYOR OF LONDON'S DECISION TO CONFIRM LB HOUNSLOW'S APPROVAL OF THE TESCO & HOMEBASE PLANNING APPLICATIONS
OWGRA is extremely disappointed in the Mayor of London’s decision of 7 September 2021 to allow these developments to go ahead (subject to any action that the Secretary of State may take). Our numerous objections sent to him over the lasts few months and lobbying outside City Hall on Thursday 2 Sept (see photos alongside) fell on deaf ears.
The approval by Hounslow Council to grant planning permission to redevelop the Homebase site at Gillette Corner and the Tesco site in Syon Lane is contrary to the spirit and letter of the London Plan.
The proposal
The redevelopment would involve the demolition of the existing Homebase store and the building of a new Tesco store on the site with 2 levels of parking above, plus 473 flats. The intention is to build a residential development on the Tesco site of 1,677 homes once the existing Tesco store is demolished. There would be dominant and out of character 17-storey tower blocks on both sites. The current population of c 13.5K in Osterley & Spring Grove ward would increase by over 40% to c 20K.
OWGRA’s main objections and concerns
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Disregard for key planning policies:
Local Plan & London Plan (eg high rise blocks should be near town centres and have good transport links), NPPF (eg protecting the setting of listed buildings), area character studies (eg clash with Osterley’s suburban character). -
Overdevelopment i.e. excessive height/massing/density: 2150 homes, c 6000 extra residents, very high density (314 homes/hectare), 16 tower blocks up to 17 storeys, a massive step change with negative impact on the area.
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Out of character with the area (mainly 2-storey houses).
4. Inadequate public transport, no improvements to roads, infrastructure and amenities, with no firm plans or funds to upgrade in the foreseeable future.
5. Serious lack of decent family-sized homes (over 80% would be studio, 1 & 2 bedroom) and inadequate external green spaces. Lessons learned from
Covid-19 pandemic ignored.
6. Environmental impact (increased noise, air pollution, carbon emissions & poor sustainability).
7. Permanent harm to local heritage assets (Grade II listed Gillette building, protected views from Kew Gardens, Syon Park, Osterley Park, etc).
8. Hounslow Planning Committee should not have ignored the recommendations of the Council’s own independent Design Review Panel which reached similar conclusions to those of OWGRA.
Local residents support development, we accept positive change, but we oppose OVERDEVELOPMENT!
We have proposed that new blocks of flats should be no more than 6 storeys high.
5 July 2021
Planning applications still not sent by Hounslow to the Mayor of London
It is now more than 12 weeks since the planning applications were approved by Hounslow & Steve Curran’s Planning Committee for the redevelopment of Tesco & Homebase. The documentation has still not been sent to the Mayor of London, and despite asking Hounslow Planners when the documentation will be sent, the only reply we get is ‘soon’ with no mention of dates. Once the Mayor receives the application he has 2 weeks to decide whether to approve it or not. We understand that after that the application will almost certainly go to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities & Local Government for his decision.
We recently heard that the Hounslow Planning Officer who had been dealing with the Tesco application suddenly left the Council a few weeks ago. Maybe that is part of the reason for the delay, but his sudden departure is interesting. Could there be some discord in Hounslow Planning with respect to these applications?
Just over 3 weeks ago we e-mailed all the Councillors who were on the Planning Committee that approved these applications on 8 April to ask if they had been influenced or encouraged to vote in a particular way on these developments at that meeting. We re-emailed them a week ago. So far, we have had responses from seven Councillors, six of whom said they had not been encouraged to vote in any way, whereas one who replied but didn’t answer yes or no. We are still waiting for responses from eight Councillors, but doubt if we will now get a response from them. Draw your own conclusions.
13 May 2021
Petition delivered to City Hall
On Wednesday 12 May, we delivered a petition with 4,332 signatures to City Hall to our newly elected London Assembly Member for London South West, Nick Rogers, who will be presenting the petition on our behalf to the Mayor of London in the next few days. We collected over 2.5K signatures on-line and over 1.5K on the paper petition in two and a half weeks; some achievement! Our gratitude goes to a group of enthusiastic OWGRA members for treading the pavements and getting signatures to the paper petition.
The vast majority of people who we spoke to are opposed to the proposed developments for the reasons stated in our petition:
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Overdevelopment and density: 2150 homes, c 6000 residents, very high density (314 homes/hectare), 16 tower blocks up to 17 storeys (too tall for the area), pandemic lessons ignored.
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Public transport, roads & other infrastructure: lack of essential improvements to support large population increase (eg rail & tube, reconfiguration of Gillette Corner junction to make it safer, primary school places, children’s play areas, GP surgery at Homebase site).
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Harm to local heritage assets (Grade II listed Gillette building, protected views from Kew Gardens, Syon Park, Osterley Park, etc).
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Inadequate fire safety measures.
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Disregard of key planning policies: Local Plan, London Plan, NPPF, area character studies, etc.
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Environmental impact
We took the 3D model of the developments with us, and it gave us a great opportunity to show the monstrous scale of the proposals to Nick Rogers again (he had attended our exhibition of the 3D model in Oct 2020), to Andrew Boff (London Assembly Member and Chairman of the Planning & Regeneration Committee at the GLA) and to the Case Officer at the GLA dealing with these planning applications.
We were able to leave the 3D model at the GLA in City Hall for wider inspection - hopefully by the Mayor himself.
Thank you to Ward Councillor Tony Louki for accompanying us and for his support.
26 April 2021
Petition to reject approval for redevelopment
We’re running a petition for the Mayor of London and/or the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government to reject Hounslow Council’s recent approval of the planning applications to build tower blocks on the Tesco & Homebase sites.
Packing in 6,000 people like sardines into 16 high-density tower blocks (up to 17-storeys) across the two sites with little parking provision, poor public transport and no additional infrastructure is not the way to solve Hounslow’s housing shortage.
We firmly believe that Hounslow’s housing aims can be achieved by developments which are more sympathetic to the area and meet Hounslow’s housing needs for family-sized homes. We need more houses, and blocks of flats no higher than 6-storeys (the height of the new Access Storage building at Gillette Corner), good quality spacious accommodation, not pokey rabbit hutches, and plenty of open green space for people to relax and for children to play. Why hasn’t Hounslow learnt any lessons from the pandemic? Why is Hounslow pampering to greedy developers at the future cost of people’s mental and physical well-being?
To have any chance of stopping these monstrosities blighting our area for decades to some, please sign here now (with all members of your household aged 16 and over), and circulate it to your friends, neighbours and WhatsApp groups in the area for them to sign t: Reject planning approval to redevelop Homebase & Tesco Sites, Syon Lane | 38 Degrees.
9 April 2021
Homebase and Tesco site redevelopment approved by Hounslow Planning Committee!
Following an almost 6 hour meeting last night (Thursday 8 April), Hounslow Planning Committee approved the planning applications to redevelop the Homebase and Tesco sites.
This is dreadful news for the local community.
It was a bizarre meeting. The Chairman had arranged the meeting so that the objectors spoke before the developments had been proposed! There were also technical hitches during the virtual meeting.
The carefully researched arguments put forward by OWGRA and others were swept aside, with the need for number of homes (irrespective of quality) trumping all other arguments.
Poor public transport, traffic, excessive height/massing/density, 17-storey tower blocks being out of character with the area, overdevelopment, lack of decent family-sized homes (too many 1-2 bed flats proposed), adverse effect on heritage assets, environmental impact, no lessons of the pandemic taken into account, were all dismissed, as were the critical comments of the development by Hounslow's own independent Design Review Panel.
But this is not the end as the decision has yet to be approved by the Mayor of London, and we will be looking to see what can be done to overturn this awful decision that will see our current lovely green part of London turned into a mass of tower blocks dominating the horizon, and providing substandard accommodation for c 6,000 people if it goes ahead.
The case made for the development by the developer and the Council officers ignored a wide range of very specific key planning issues that we and others had raised before and during the meeting. We will be commenting on this in the coming weeks to show just how badly the councillors on the Planning Committee and the public were misled. It was also evident from the questioning by councillors that few of them had read the detailed concerns, expressed in strictly planning terms, that we had sent them.
Those living nearby will suffer the effects of noise and pollution over the 15-20 years that it will take to construct these developments.
21 March 2021
The planning applications for the redevelopment of the Tesco & Homebase sites will be determined by Hounslow’s 15-member Planning Committee at a virtual meeting on Thursday 8 April, starting at 5 pm.
The planning applications propose to demolish the Homebase site, build a new Tesco store with 2 levels of parking above, plus 473 flats. The intention is to build a residential development on the Tesco site of 1,677 homes. There would be ugly 17-storey tower blocks on both sites. The current population of c 13.5 K in Osterley & Spring Grove ward would increase by over 40% to c 20K.
THESE APPLICATIONS SHOULD BE REFUSED
We maintain our belief that smaller schemes, at much lower height and density (maximum of 6 storeys), would be an appropriate solution, but it is essential that they must be preceded by completing all transport and roads infrastructure necessary to fully support them.
The OWGRA Tesco-Homebase Residents’ Action Group has been working very hard on behalf of the local community for the last 18 months to try to stop these monstrosities being built in this part of suburban London.
OWGRA has submitted further objections to the additional documentation submitted by the developer end January 2021
Here is the OWGRA’s additional objection to the Homebase site
Here is the OWGRA’s additional objection to the Tesco site
12 February 2021
A newsletter is currently being delivered to all households in the OWGRA area (most of Osterley & Spring Grove ward) and the Trees Estate (south east of Syon Lane station) with information on how to respond to the new documents submitted by the developer to support their planning applications for the Tesco & Homebase sites.
The newsletter can be found here.
The changes submitted by the developer are minor and very disappointing, as they do not address the major concerns of local residents and OWGRA. The main changes relate to energy strategy, some minor changes to the junction at Gillette Corner and a change in housing mix at the current Tesco site. For details see here
Our objections remain unchanged:
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Excessive height/massing/density, in relation to existing residential areas and listed Gillette building.
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Out of character with the area (mainly 2-storey houses).
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Overdevelopment: adding 2,150 homes in mostly tower blocks (up to 17 storeys) to our neighbourhood of mainly 2-storey houses. The population would increase by about 6,000 which is equivalent to a small town (eg the size of Bagshot or Egham).
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Serious lack of decent-sized family homes to meet Hounslow’s dire shortage of 3-4 bedroom homes.
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Adverse effect on heritage assets (including the Grade II listed Gillette building between the two sites).
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Inadequate public transport, no improvements to roads, infrastructure and amenities, with no firm plans or funds to upgrade in the foreseeable future.
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Unacceptable traffic (dangerous/over-capacity at Gillette Corner), route used by ambulances.
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Environmental impact (increased noise, air pollution, carbon emissions & poor sustainability).
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No justification for demolishing Tesco and Homebase instead of retaining or re-purposing.
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Insufficient measures to meet Zero Carbon targets and Climate Emergency measures.
Hounslow’s Design Review Panel (HDRP)
Two reports were published on 28 January 2021 by the relatively new Design Review Panel set up by Hounslow Council to provide “an independent and impartial evaluation process that assesses the design of significant development proposals, regeneration programmes, policies, briefs and guidance”.
We understand that the developer consulted the HDRP at an earlier stage about these proposals but those reports are confidential.
We are very pleased to see that many of our concerns and objections are included in the comments from the HDRP. You can read the most relevant comments on pg 3-4 of our newsletter. The full reports can be found here
27 September 2021
A petition to overturn the decision by the Hounslow Planning Committee to approve the monstrous redevelopment of the Tesco and Homebase sites was delivered today into the hands of a member of the Correspondence Team at the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government, for the attention of the Secretary of State, Michael Gove.
24 November 2021
Tesco & Homebase Planning Applications to go to Public Inquiry
Secretary of State Michael Gove has called in the two planning applications to redevelop the Tesco & Homebase sites at Gillette Corner. They will be considered at a public inquiry to be chaired by a Planning Inspector, probably in spring 2022. We will take an active role in this public inquiry. Following the public inquiry, the Planning Inspector sends his report and recommendation to the Secretary of State who can accept or reject the recommendations of the Planning Inspector.
So we are still in with a chance that these developments might not see the light of day, at least in their present form. It will still be an uphill battle but we will work very hard and do everything we can to present arguments to try to convince the Planning Inspector that the developments, as approved, are not appropriate for this area for all the reasons that we have been stating since the planning applications were submitted to Hounslow Council. We never opposed development on these sites but have argued all along that we want developments that provide housing that fits in with the area and will ensure that future occupants have access to adequate infrastructure as required by planning guidelines.
23 January 2022
Tesco & Homebase Public Inquiry starts on 15 March
The Tesco & Homebase planning applications will be considered at a public inquiry starting on Tuesday 15 March. The inquiry is scheduled to last 15 days in 2 main sessions, one in the second half of March: 15-25 March, 29-30 March, and then on 26-29 April. The first day (Tuesday 15 March) is currently planned to be in-person at a nearby venue (yet to be decided) and then move to a virtual format. The whole inquiry will be live-streamed and available for the public to watch on-line.
The public inquiry means that we start with a clean slate, that the decision taken by Hounslow Council and the GLA to approve these planning applications is set aside. It will be chaired by a Planning Inspector and it is a formal process similar to a court of law with opposing sides presenting their cases to the Inspector. On one side there will be the developer and Hounslow Council, and on the other side Historic England and OWGRA. During the inquiry each of the 4 parties presents their case and can be cross-examined by the other parties. Each topic will be dealt with in turn, which is why it takes so long. Heritage is one of the key areas, hence the involvement of Historic England, and we/OWGRA are also covering overdevelopment and out of character with the area; transport and infrastructure; environmental impact, energy, sustainability and air quality; green space and post-Covid issues; housing supply and housing needs. Although we start with a clean slate, the Planning Inspector studies the original planning applications and all the objections submitted at the time.
Following the public inquiry, the Planning Inspector sends her report and recommendation to the Secretary of State who can accept or reject the recommendations of the Planning Inspector. It will take the Inspector a few weeks to write the report and then it might take a while for the Secretary of State to make his decision, so it might be well into the second half of 2022 before we hear the outcome.
Our group has been working very hard since before Christmas preparing for the inquiry. We submitted our ‘Statement of Case’ (basically an outline of our case) to the Planning Inspectorate on 6 January. We are now working on a much more detailed ‘Proof of Evidence’ which is to be submitted by 15 February.
The Planning Inspector will be doing 2 site visits (an unaccompanied and an accompanied visit) so we have prepared for her a route on a map, accompanied with detailed instructions.
We are still in with a chance that these developments might not see the light of day, at least in their present form. It will be an uphill battle but we will work very hard and do everything we can to present arguments to try to convince the Planning Inspector that the developments, as approved, are not appropriate for this area for all the reasons that we have been stating since the planning applications were submitted to Hounslow Council. We never opposed development on these sites but have argued all along that we want developments that provide housing that fits in with the area, meets housing needs, and will ensure that future occupants have access to adequate infrastructure as required by planning guidelines.
8 March 2022
Tesco & Homebase Public Inquiry starts on 15 March
The Public Inquiry to consider the planning applications for the redevelopment of the Tesco & Homebase sites starts on Tuesday 15 March at 10.00 at Hounslow House. Only the first day will be held in person at Hounslow House, as the rest of the inquiry will be held virtually between 16-30 March and concludes 25-27 April.
COME AND TAKE PART IN THE DEMONSTRATION ON TUESDAY 15 MARCH OUTSIDE HOUNSLOW HOUSE TO SHOW YOUR SUPPORT FOR OWGRA AND THAT YOU OBJECT TO THESE PLANNING APPLICATIONS.
We will be holding a peaceful demonstration outside Hounslow House all day on the first day of the public inquiry and are encouraging as many of you as possible to come along and support us between 9.00 am and 5.30 pm. We will provide placards and a roller banner. Please could you let us know if you are able to take part in the demonstration and roughly what time of the day and how long you might be able to stay, as we need to keep the police informed of approximate numbers – e-mail us on info@owgra.org.uk. This is your chance to show how strongly you feel about these developments!
The inquiry will be live-streamed from day 1 (15 March). You can follow it by clicking on https://www.youtube.com/c/LBHounslow. Or you can go into YouTube and search for Hounslow Council. The recordings will also be available for later viewing.
On the first day of the public inquiry the Planning Inspector will introduce the inquiry, and Opening Statements will be made by the developer, Hounslow Council, Historic England and OWGRA (in that order). Then there will be representations from interested parties and local residents who have asked to speak.
Please keep an eye on these pages of our website for the latest updates on the public inquiry.
17 October 2022
The Tesco/Homebase Public Inquiry ended on Friday 30 September
The Tesco/Homebase Public Inquiry restarted and concluded during the last week of September, after sitting for 15 days between 15 March and 30 Sept 2022. OWGRA organised a well-attended lobby outside Hounslow House, to greet those arriving at the restart on Monday morning 26 Sept. We had our 3D model, banner and displays, and were joined by colleagues from the Green Party and Friends of the Earth.
OWGRA was represented by two or three members on each day of the Inquiry, and on the final day six OWGRA members jointly presented our Closing Statement. You can watch it all on the Hounslow YouTube channel. Here is a link to Hounslow Council’s YouTube page, where you can watch the proceedings:
https://www.youtube.com/c/LBHounslow.
Blogs of the last 5 days of the inquiry (26-30 Sept) will be put up on the OWGRA website's blog page in due course.
Our Closing Statement can be viewed by clicking on the first link below – do take a look – it runs to 24 pages – it is very convincing and shows just how much work the campaign team has put into preparing for the Inquiry. The second link below is a resume of the campaign to date. It is estimated that we might have to wait for maybe 9 months for a decision from the Secretary of State of whether he approves or refuses the Planning Application to build 2,150 flats in 16 blocks of up to 17 storeys across the 2 sites.
We must give thanks to the campaign team and many others who have worked tirelessly over the last three and a half years.
12 May 2023
Tesco / Homebase Decision Delayed
The decision by the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities on whether to grant planning permission to redevelop the Tesco & Homebase sites on Syon Lane has been delayed for the second time until early July 2023.
4 July 2023
Tesco / Homebase Decision Delayed Once More
On 3 July OWGRA were informed that the decision by the Secretary of State on the Tesco & Homebase sites was again being delayed, for a third time, to 5 September
23 August 2023
Tesco / Homebase decision delayed for a 4th time
The decision by the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities on whether to grant planning permission to redevelop the Tesco & Homebase sites on Syon Lane has been delayed for the fourth time to 2 November 2023.
We have been notified that the decision by the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities on granting planning permission to redevelop the Tesco & Homebase sites on Syon Lane has once again been delayed, this time until January 2024.
12 November 2023
Tesco / Homebase decision delayed for a 5th time
11 December 2023
OSTERLEY TESCO & HOMEBASE PLANNING APPLICATIONS APPROVED BY SECRETARY OF STATE
We have been informed that the Secretary of State has approved the planning applications to redevelop the Tesco & Homebase sites, despite both applications being refused by the Planning Inspector following the Public Inquiry.
Here is the key information:
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The Inspector recommended that planning permission be refused for both applications.
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The Secretary of State disagrees with the Inspector’s recommendation. He has decided to grant planning permission for both applications.
The planning application to build 2150 homes in 16 tower blocks up to 17 storeys on the Osterley Tesco and Homebase sites on Syon Lane, West London, is therefore approved. The case made by Osterley & Wyke Green Residents' Association (OWGRA) and Historic England as to why the development would be harmful to both Osterley and the wider area has therefore been rejected, despite the recommendation from the Planning Inspector that planning permission be refused for both applications, following a 15-day Public Inquiry, held over the course of many months in 2022.
The final judgement from the Secretary of State has resulted in a recommendation to accept the case for approval from Berkeley Homes & Hounslow Council.
We deeply regret this decision. We remain of the view that the plans for the site represent an enormous over-development which will be harmful to the character of the area, and where local infrastructure is already severely stretched and inadequate for an extra 5-6K residents.
Further comments will be published once we have had a chance to read and analyse the full report, which runs to 298 pages and which can be viewed by clicking here.
10 February 2021
We will be providing more details in a few days’ time on how to respond to the new documentation submitted by the developer. In the meantime you may find this item of interest:
HOUNSLOW COUNCIL’S PURCHASE OF “OFF-PLAN” HOMES ON THE HOMEBASE SITE - A FORGONE CONCLUSION?
At a Council Committee meeting held two days before Christmas, it was agreed that the Council should purchase 164 homes from Berkeley/St Edward at the Homebase site, for council housing purposes.
There was widespread concern that this could act as a form of pressure on the Planning Committee when considering the developments. This led to a call-in of the decision by our own Councillor Unsa Chaudri and others.
At an Overview & Scrutiny Committee Meeting at the end of January, it was decided that not only had there been no consultation with Ward Councillors, but that there was inadequate evidence on which to base a decision and agreed to refer the decision back to the original committee.
The original Committee met a few days later to consider the recommendations, and although they agreed that in future Ward Councillors should be consulted, it did not consider the detailed points of information shortfall and re-affirmed in full its decision to make the ‘off plan’ purchases.
OWGRA’s Conclusion: We are concerned by the lack of transparency in these Council meetings. We are grateful to our Ward Councillors for stepping in to make sure that Council Committees are run properly and are held to account for their actions and decisions.
You can read the full article here and find the links to the meeting documents and videos.
28 January 2021
Developer submits new documentation
In the last few days the developer has submitted some new replacement documents as part of the planning application for the redevelopment of the Tesco & Homebase sites on Syon Lane. The submission of additional or replacement documents is nothing unexpected with such large planning applications.
The developer is responding to significant concerns raised by the Greater London Assembly (GLA), Transport for London (TfL) and the Council Planners. The changes are very disappointing, as they do not address the concerns of local residents and OWGRA.
An additional 44 new files (2,058 pages) have been added to the Homebase planning application (P/2020/3099) giving a total of 180 documents! For the Tesco site there are an additional 13 new replacement files (1,875 pages) giving a total of 49 documents. The Tesco planning application is an outline application, so less detailed, hence the reason for fewer documents. If approved, the Homebase site would be redeveloped first, followed by the Tesco site.
We have another 4 weeks to respond to these additional documents (until Wednesday 24 February).
We will be looking through these documents in the next week or so and will contact you after that with advice on how you might want to respond, so please bear with us till then.
The main changes relate to energy strategy and some minor changes to the junction at Gillette Corner.
The changes from the developer are relatively minor so most of our objections still stand i.e.
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Excessive height/massing/density in relation to existing residential areas and the listed Gillette building.
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Out of character with the area (mainly 2-storey houses).
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Overdevelopment: adding 2,150 homes in mostly tower blocks (up to 17 storeys) to our neighbourhood of mainly 2-storey houses. The population would increase by about 6,000 which is equivalent to a small town (e.g. the size of Bagshot).
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Serious lack of decent-sized family homes to meet Hounslow’s dire shortage of 3-4 bedroom homes.
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Adverse effect on heritage assets (including the Grade II listed Gillette, between the two sites).
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Inadequate public transport, no improvements to roads, infrastructure and amenities, with no firm plans and funds to upgrade in the foreseeable future.
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Unacceptable traffic (dangerous / over-capacity at Gillette Corner), route used by ambulances.
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Environmental impact (increased noise, air pollution, carbon emissions & poor sustainability).
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No justification for demolishing Tesco and Homebase instead of retaining or re-purposing.
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Minimal measures to meet Zero Carbon and Climate Emergency measures.
Watch this space for more information in early February!
20 December 2020
The 3D model of the proposed developments commissioned by OWGRA continued its tour of local venues on Saturday 5 December outside Osterley Garden Centre and on Saturday 12 December outside Homebase.
We always meet new people at these exhibitions who aren’t aware of the proposals and they are often shocked at what they see and are motivated to object.
We understand that these two planning applications won’t go to Planning Committee until spring 2021, so you can still object if you haven’t done so already. Go to https://thb.owgra.org.uk/how-to-object
Our lovely group of litter pickers cleared 17 bags of rubbish from the Homebase car park in return for us being able to exhibit our model outside their store.
A 3rd printed newsletter on the proposed Tesco/Homebase developments has been delivered to all households in the OWGRA area over the last week, concentrating this time on responding to the claims that the developer has been making in their brochures over the last few months.
22 November 2020
Thank you for your support!
Thank you to everyone who has so far objected to the two planning applications to redevelop the Tesco and Homebase sites. We haven’t quite hit the target of 500 objections and if you haven’t objected yet you still can, even though the official deadline has passed. Do try to get your objections in by the end of November. Here are the details of how you can object
OWGRA has submitted very detailed objections to the Council.
Here is the summary of OWGRA’s objections to the Homebase site
Here is the summary of OWGRA’s objections to the Tesco site
Here is the full OWGRA objection to the Homebase site (51 pages!)
Here is the full OWGRA objection to the Tesco site (45 pages)
If you agree with OWGRA’s objections you can let the Council know that. Even if you have already objected you can also support OWGRA’s objections. Here is how.
We expect these planning applications to go to Planning Committee in the new year, and we will keep you informed via this website.
Thank you for your continued support and help over the last few weeks. Let’s keep up the fight!
25 October 2020
Even greater turnout on the second day of the exhibition of the 3D model
Over 90 local residents attended the exhibition outside the Nishkam School of the 3D model commissioned by OWGRA of the proposed developments at Tesco & Homebase sites at Gillette Corner yesterday (Saturday 24 October). The model shows the proposed 17 storey tower blocks dwarfing the surrounding mainly 2 storey houses, the Grade II listed Gillette building and the 6-storey Access Storage building currently under construction at Gillette Corner.
That brings the total number of visitors to the exhibition over the 2 days (22 and 24 October) to just under 150.
Nick Rogers (London Assembly candidate for Hounslow, Kingston & Richmond 2021) tweeted as follows:
“Incredibly impressed by the @OWGRA exhibition on the Osterley Tesco/Homebase development. The model they commissioned shows very clearly how these 17 storey towers will dominate the surrounding area.”
Quote from Richard Eason, Ward Councillor for Osterley & Spring Grove ward:
“Congratulations to OWGRA and the Residents Action Group for an excellent exhibition with a very professionally presented model illustrating the outrageous scale of these development proposals. Yes, we need more homes, but we need them now, not poor quality high rise flats next decade. These proposals have the potential to blight the area for a generation and beyond”
Osterley residents are fighting for their voices to be heard and Hounslow Council and the developers are not listening. Yes to building new homes, but not OK to destroy local livelihoods and obliterate the area. Help us by objecting to these preposterous planning applications and save Osterley and its skyline!
23 October 2020
Great turnout at the first day of the exhibition of the 3D model
Over 50 local residents attended the exhibition of the 3D model commissioned by OWGRA of the proposed developments at Tesco & Homebase sites at Gillette Corner last night (Thursday 22 October). The model shows the proposed 17 storey tower blocks dwarfing the surrounding mainly 2 storey houses and Grade II listed Gillette building. Also attending were Ruth Cadbury MP and Shaun Bailey (Tory candidate for Mayor of London elections 2021).
Quote from Ruth Cadbury MP:
"I'd like to congratulate OWGRA for explaining the scheme through the professional quality scale model and information boards. It makes it easier to understand the layout and the potential impact of what is a very large proposal on the local area."
Quote from Shaun Bailey, candidate for London Mayoral election 2021:
"Londoners want housing developers to provide good homes and stay in keeping with the local area. That's why I'm troubled by the 17-storey development in Osterley and Wyke Green. It's not in keeping with the area and it won't provide enough family-sized homes."
Quote from a local resident:
“The 3D model REALLY shows you the awful impact it would have on the area. You truly get the sense of scale and how dense the development is. Truly shocks to see how it towers over everything. Please take a look if you possibly can make it.”
You can see the 3D model tomorrow, Saturday 24 October, from 10.30am to 4pm at the Nishkam School on Syon Lane. For more information and to book a slot click here
16 October 2020
OWGRA Newsletter
A newsletter is currently being delivered to all households in the OWGRA area (most of Osterley & Spring Grove ward) and the Trees Estate (south east of Syon Lane station) with information on now to object to the planning applications for the Tesco & Homebase sites and how to register to attend the exhibition of the 3D model of the proposed sites on 22 and 24 October 2020.
The newsletter can be found here.
10 October 2020
We will let you know by end of next week (18 October) how you can object to the Planning Applications for these 2 sites (Tesco & Homebase)
Meanwhile, you can look at the thousands of pages in the Planning Application documents here:
https://www.hounslow.gov.uk/info/20035/planning_permission
and also on our website.
The reference numbers are: Homebase site P/2020/3099, Tesco site P/2020/3100
We understand that consultation letters have gone out about the current Tesco site application (P/2020/3100) but not about the Homebase site (P/2020/3099). The consultation area is very small (1/2 mile radius) and we are trying to get Hounslow Planners to increase it.
We currently have until Friday 6 November to respond to the planning applications.
DON’T OBJECT YET! We’re almost ready to let you know how to object, so watch this space!
The developer delivered a propaganda brochure to quite a lot of households in the area yesterday showing a green and pleasant land and not a hint of the proposed overdevelopment and tower blocks of up to 17 storeys, which would be totally out of character with the area of mainly 2-storey houses and dwarf the Grade II listed Gillette building. They talk about ‘positive change’, and we will show you that is a claim that is very far from the truth.
We’ll update this website in a week. Stay with us!
22 September 2020
The Planning Applications for the Tesco and Homebase sites have been submitted!
Hounslow Council are currently uploading all the documents onto the planning portal of their website:
https://www.hounslow.gov.uk/info/20035/planning_permission
The reference numbers are: Homebase site P/2020/3099, Tesco site P/2020/3100
The planning documents are also available from our website,
The consultation letters are expected to be sent to local residents in the next few days, after which we theoretically have 21 days to respond.
DON’T OBJECT YET! We will analyse the documents over the next week or so and then give you some guidance on how to object. So watch this space!
12 September 2020
Still no news on when the planning applications for the Tesco and Homebase sites might be submitted. We don't know the reason for the delay. Could it be that the developer is having second thoughts or is chopping the tower blocks of up to 17 storeys down to our red line of 6 storeys? We live in hope ...
16 August 2020
OWGRA Newsletter
A newsletter is currently being delivered to all households in the OWGRA area (most of Osterley & Spring Grove ward) and the Trees Estate (south east of Syon Lane station) updating residents of the plans to redevelop the Tesco & Homebase sites on Syon Lane. The newsletter can be found here
Poster
An A4 poster is available on the back of the newsletter for you to put in your front window. A larger A3 version is available on request from OWGRA (e-mail info@owgra.org.uk or
phone 07767 826197).
Leaflets from the developer (Berkeley/St Edward) were delivered to local residents in the last few days. The visuals suggest an idyllic Garden of Eden with no mention of overdevelopment in tower blocks of up to 17 storeys, insufficient infrastructure and amenities.
We understand that the submission of the planning applications for the two sites (initially scheduled for the end of July) has been delayed and is expected in early September.
The developer is holding a virtual exhibition over the next few weeks – see https://syonlanefuture.com/
DO LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THINK OF THE EXHIBITION (e-mail us at info@owgra.org.uk).
Don’t believe what they say about listening and responding to local concerns – they haven’t. We will be tweeting a long list of FACT CHECKS over the next few weeks putting the story straight.
28 July 2020
Presentation by the developer, Berkeley/St Edward (BSE!), to Members of the LB Hounslow Planning Committee
A mammoth 4-hour virtual meeting took place during the early evening on Tuesday, 28 July when BSE presented their plans for the Planning Committee.
10 of the 15 members of the Planning Committee attended the meeting. Also in attendance were our 3 Ward Councillors (Tony Louki, Unsa Chaudri & Richard Eason). A few members of the local community were allowed to observe the meeting, but only Councillors were allowed to ask questions.
We have not as yet received the slides that were used by the developer at the meeting.
Proposed Berkely Homes development at Homebase site, Gillette Corner, Isleworth
(before and after pictures)
View from Shell garage at Gillette Corner
View from GlaxoSmithKline on the A4 (looking westwards to Gillette Corner)
View from London Road (bottom of Syon lane between the Lion Gate to Syon Park and the Coach & Horses pub)
3 July 2020
Developer consulting with local community
The developer, St Edward, is consulting the local community on their proposed development for the Tesco & Homebase sites, but is not listening!
OWGRA sent a 4-page letter to the developer expressing deep disappointment that the plans shown at the virtual Community Liaison Group (CLG) meeting for a small group of local residents on 18 June had hardly changed since the end of February 2020 exhibitions.
High-rise blocks of flats up to 17 storeys are still planned for both sites!
Residents are horrified at the plans and OWGRA is preparing to object strongly to the planning applications. We feel that the developer has totally ignored our views during the consultation period, and that the consultation process has merely been a box-ticking exercise for the developer.
Objections will focus on:
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height/massing/density,
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out of character with the area,
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overdevelopment (2,150 homes in mainly tower blocks in a suburban area of mainly 2 storey houses),
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the need for decent-sized family homes, not small flats (post COVID-19 pandemic concerns),
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effect on heritage assets (including the Grade II listed Gillette building between the two sites),
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inadequate public transport, infrastructure and amenities,
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traffic (dangerous/over-capacity Gillette Corner junction).
17 March 2020
OWGRA’s response to the 2nd exhibition
OWGRA has sent a 7-page letter to the developer expressing major concerns with the developer’s plans as shown at the 2nd exhibition at the end of February 2020. (view the letter)
A ‘wish list’ for the two sites has also been sent. (view the list).
Our main objections can be found by clicking on the more... link. You might like to consider including them in your response to the developer by e-mailing them to hello@syonlanefuture.com and copying them to info@owgra.org.uk .
2 March 2020
The boards shown at the St Edward public exhibition on 27 & 29 Feb have been published today and can be found here.
13 February 2020
St Edward second public consultation announced for 27 & 29 February. See the Calendar. Brochure available here
A second public exhibition is being held at the end of next week by Berkeley Homes/St Edward to show how their plans have evolved for the redevelopment of the Homebase and Tesco sites since the first exhibition in Oct 2019.
BACKGROUND
15 January 2020
PROPOSED DEVELOPMENTS ON THE TESCO AND HOMEBASE SITES IN OSTERLEY
Summary
Major redevelopments are planned for the current Tesco and Homebase sites on Syon Lane. OWGRA will be working on behalf of the local community for developments that respect the character of the area and are not excessive.
The diagram below, from the developer, is an artist’s impression of initial ideas for the development.
