Green Light Given for The Castle Pub Demolition
462 co-living apartments to be built on site in towers up to 32 storeys high
CGI of the scheme from the developer with approved tower in middle
Ealing Council’s planning committee has given the go ahead for the demolition of the Castle Pub in North Acton to allow 462 new co-living apartments to be built on the site at the junction of Wales Farm Road and Victoria Road.
The pub, which was once visited by Lady Gaga, has been closed for several years and developers have been attempting to build on the site since 2016 and finally approval was given by the committee on Wednesday evening (21 September) with 9 councillors in favour, two against (including Lib Dem Jon Ball) and one abstention.
Once the Castle is demolished it will be replaced by a building consisting of two parts which are 32 and 27 storeys high. The structure will be 105 metres at its highest point which compares to the 185 metre tower already built nearby at Portal Way and one 203 metres high which has been approved by Ealing Council but has yet to start construction.
Apartments in the building could be repurposed to house students although it is not clear who are the intended occupants. Co-living apartments tend to be smaller but have communal areas.
The proposed building would reach a maximum of 105 metres in height which would be less that the larger towers on Portal Way, one of which has been approved for a height on 203 metres with a 185 metre tower already built.
A new pub is to be built at the base of the tower to cater to the many students living in the area as well as other residents. It will echo the Arts & Craft style of the old Castle pub and make references to the BBC rehearsal rooms which used to provide some of the clientele.
The former Castle pub to be demolished
The building will be between Holbrook House and one of the towers in Portal Way and the towers will gradually rise in height towards the west.
The development will be built using off-site modular technology which will mean that the scheme can be delivered quickly. In addition, the applicant says this modular form will cause less disruption during the construction phase.
A new pub will be constructed at the base of the planned building
Form floors 4 to 30 there will be 18 units per floor which will decrease to 12 units per floor on the top levels. Originally the plan was for 21 units per floor after council officers expressed concerns about the density of the development. This reduced the number of units from 595 in an earlier design.
Towers to be built in North Acton
No face-to-face consultation about the building was possible due to Covid-19 but the developer held a series of online meetings and webinars.
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September 22, 2022