Council Submits Plan to Build Tall Tower in Centre of Acton


Development on the Steyne Estate would include 188 new flats

Council Submit Plan to Build Tall Tower in Centre of Acton
Development on the Steyne Estate would include 188 new flats

Ealing Council has submitted a planning application (223203FUL) for a major development project in the centre of Acton which appears to include the tallest building in the area.

The borough housing development team want permission for three new buildings on the Steyne Estate including a tower described as 20-storeys high, an eight storey block for older adults and a four storey family block with six larger flats for a total of 188 new flats. None of the housing provided would be on a social rent basis but a portion of it would be classed as affordable.

Visualisations of the scheme submitted by the council’s architect, Hoxton-based Karakusevic Carson Architects, shows that the new tower would be noticeably taller than the existing ones on the estate even though the stated number of floors is lower. The current 22-storey towers (Moreton and Rufford), which contain a combined 200 flats with a mixture of social rent and leasehold tenants, are to be retained with work being done on the podium area to incorporate them into the new developments. Lantry Court to the north contains 24 Older Adult homes and this too will remain after the development.

The development site is north of the police station and Morrisons bounded by Lexden Road to the south-west and Steyne Road to the south-east. The tall residential tower will be built facing Steyne Road and the block for older adults will be on Lexden Road with the family block to the north of the development.

Visualistation suggests new block would be tallest on the estate. Picture: Karakusevic Carson Architects
Visualistation suggests new block would be tallest on the estate. Picture: Karakusevic Carson Architects

The main residential tower would contain 117 flats mainly one and two bedroom with 90 shared ownership units on the lower floors and the 21 on the upper floors sold at market prices including some larger three-bedroom ‘penthouse’ apartments.

The Older Adults block on Lexden Road would include 71 flats offered at London Affordable Rent and the six flats in the family block will be made available on a market sale basis. Overall the 188 flats in the development will include 27 sold at market prices, 90 on a shared ownership basis and 71 at London Affordable Rent which is generally above Housing Association levels but below market rates.

The proposed block for older adults on Lexden Road. Picture: Karakusevic Carson Architects
The proposed block for older adults on Lexden Road. Picture: Karakusevic Carson Architects

The proposed block for families. Picture: Karakusevic Carson Architects
The proposed block for families. Picture: Karakusevic Carson Architects


Map showing location of the estate. Picture: Karakusevic Carson Architects

The proposed block for families. Picture: Karakusevic Carson Architects The planned location of the new buildings. Picture: Karakusevic Carson Architects

Documents submitted with the application state that there are 109 trees on the site and a considerable number of these will be lost although it is consistently stated that every effort has been made to protect mature trees. We were unable to determine the exact number of trees that will be lost from the planning documentation.

A new access road would be provided off Steyne Road linking to an undercroft car park. The development aims to retain the existing number of parking spaces. It is not clear if residents of the new buildings will be able to apply for permits.

So far over 120 comments have been made about the proposal, most of them unfavourable.

 

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September 8, 2022