Developers scale down plans
DEVELOPERS who were met with protests after planning a 22-storey tower behind Ealing’s historic Hoover Building have submitted a new application for another, shorter tower block.
AmroLiving proposed a 22-storey block with 305 flats on the site of the Tesco petrol pump behind the Grade II*-listed art deco building on the A40 in Perivale in 2019.
Dozens of local protesters marched over the proposals for The Wiltern, eventually securing the rejection of the plans by Ealing Council in September. Historic England also wrote about their concerns over the development to the council.
Earlier this month, developers submitted new plans to build on the site of the petrol pump, downgrading the towers to a maximum height of 16 storeys, with sections that are 15 and 10 storeys tall. The latest plans have 278 flats, down from the initial 305 proposed.
The Hoover Building was built in the 1930s to house the headquarters of the Hoover vacuum cleaner company, with further building added that house factories and canteens for the workers.
It was designed by the same people who built the Firestone tyre factory in Brentford and Victoria Coach Station, both also renowned art deco buildings of the period. The distinctive facade on the A40 also takes inspiration from Mayan and Aztec cultures.
Around 1,300 people worked at the site before the Second World War, when parts of the factory were commandeered for the war effort, helping to build aeroplane parts while also building Hoover vacuums.
The building’s distinctive facade had to be disguised, leaving it unharmed during the Blitz.
The Hoover building was used by the company until its purchase in 1989 by Tesco, who built a superstore, car park and petrol pump at the site. The main building was also used for office space before being turned into 66 apartments and having a new floor added by developers in 2018.
The canteen building next to the main building is built in a similar art deco building now houses Royal Nawaab, a Pakistani restaurant and banqueting centre.
AmroLiving have sized down their application following the rejection of their application in September.
Councillor Munir Ahmed spoke against the development at the Planning Committee meeting, and said the area needed more school places and a solution to deal with congestion before any more homes were built in the area.
He said: “The building is too high, and it is compromising the view of the English Heritage Listed Grade Two building”.
The developer’s new plans retain the mock art deco styling of the previous building. Built across part of the car park and the petrol station, just 28 spaces will be retained and 53 lost. There are also 20 disabled parking bays retained.
Of the 278 homes proposed, 210 will be for rent by the developers, with 159 one-bed and 51 two-bed flats, while 68 are for intermediate rent including eight one-bed flats, 48 two-bed and 14 three-bed flats. That means only around 24.5 per cent of flats will be classed affordable.
A spokesman for AmroLiving told MyLondon: “This is an innovative development proposal that will enhance the setting of the historic Hoover Building as well as providing much needed new and affordable professionally managed rental homes.
“AmroLiving want to replace the petrol filling station to the north of the Tesco’s car park with an outstanding new Art Deco style building, designed by award winning architects HTA.
“AmroLiving have engaged with local residents, stakeholders and Ealing Council and have significantly reduced the height of the proposed building following these discussions, resulting in the proposed building no longer being visible behind the Hoover Building from the opposite pavement to the southside of the A40.”
A neighbour commented on the application that it was a “disgrace” to build a tower so tall in the area, while others cited a lack of resources including doctor’s surgeries in the area as another reason the application should not be approved.
Of the 33 public bodies asked to comment, only Thames Water have replied since the application went online on February 6, citing no issues with the plan but highlighted its proximity to “underground waste water assets” just 15 metres away.
The public consultation ends on March 9, while a determination deadline has been set for May 11.
You can register comments for the panning committee’s consideration at www.ealing.gov.uk.
Public consultations were held at Royal Nawaab in January and details can also be found at www.thewiltern london.co.uk/.