Harefield Gazette

Thumbs-up for new flats

‘VERY, VERY TIRED’ WEST LONDON ESTATE TO BE KNOCKED DOWN AND REPLACED WITH 209 MODERN HOMES – AND RESIDENTS HAVE SAID THEY ARE DELIGHTED

- By LISA HASELDINE lisa.haseldine@reachplc.com @lisa_haseldine

A WEST London estate will be bulldozed to make way for 209 new flats - and residents are delighted to see it go.

Charlton House, Albany House and Osier Court in Brentford High Street will be knocked down to make way for five apartment blocks ranging between one and eight storeys high.

In plans approved by Hounslow Council on March 21, all the new flats will be classed as affordable and will be redevelope­d by the council itself.

It will double the number of flats on the site and offer space for ground floor shops.

Dave, a local resident speaking at a council meeting who did not provide his surname, called the current buildings “old and very, very tired” and said the demolition and redevelopm­ent was long overdue.

Dave, who has lived in Charlton House for 29 years, said: “Do the council need to knock down this housing stock? Of course they do. The majority [of the residents of these blocks] are for moving into accommodat­ion fit for the 21st century.”

He added that the residents he represente­d were happy with the plans and said he expected many of them would move back into the new developmen­t.

Some residents living in nearby Market Terrace said the tower blocks would block sunlight to their homes.

Archika Kumar, representi­ng Hounslow’s estate regenerati­on team leading the developmen­t, reassured residents.

She said: “We accept that Market Terrace in particular is sitting opposite single-storey garages which are overlookin­g a very open car park. Any kind of developmen­t put forward on that stretch will have an impact on residents and the surroundin­g area.

“Our propositio­n is that the impact will be acceptable and the quality of daylight and sunlight will still be very good. ”

Work on the new tower blocks is expected to start in March 2023 and be completed in June 2026.

 ?? PHOTO: HOUNSLOW COUNCIL ?? The number of flats will be more than doubled in the new developmen­t on Brentford High Street
PHOTO: HOUNSLOW COUNCIL The number of flats will be more than doubled in the new developmen­t on Brentford High Street

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