A case of overconfidence in the housing market
Flats advertised before planning permission
A number of residents have been left bemused after spotting advertisements for a new 53-flat development in Uxbridge which has not yet been granted planning approval.
The application for Waterloo Wharf on the Grand Union Canal at Uxbridge Moor was considered by Hillingdon Council on Tuesday October 4 but the decision was deferred by councillors.
But reports of advertisements for the homes have surfaced since midSeptember and residents have taken to Twitter to voice their confusion.
The council’s head of planning has also said he would not recommend companies advertise properties before they have reached the planning meeting.
Speaking at Hillingdon Council’s Major Applications Planning Committee meeting, a resident of nearby Waterloo Road said: “[Residents and the wider community] will be impacted by the proposed development.
“Those of us who have homes on Waterloo Road in front of the development are also hugely concerned about the imposing height of the building and about being overlooked by the three and four-story buildings which will invade our privacy.”
The application was recommended for approval by council officers but councillors opted to defer the decision over concerns about the height of the proposed building.
A similar application made earlier this year was refused by the council and has been appealed by the applicants, but this appeal would be withdrawn if the revised application was approved, according to their agent.
The council’s head of planning said: “I just want to put on public record that we would never encourage developers to advertise schemes prior to them coming to the planning committee meeting.
“At the planning team we would never encourage them to do that and would actively discourage that.”
An agent speaking on behalf of the applicant Howarth
We would never encourage developers to advertise schemes prior to them coming to the planning committee meeting”
Homes said at the meeting: “The redevelopment of this end-of-life cycle warehouse will make the best use of an urban under-utilised previously developed site in compliance with the principles of sustainable development.”
In a tweet the company said “the properties are being sold subject to planning permission”.
Howarth Homes has been approached for a comment.