Hillingdon Council Approves West Drayton Flats Despite Resident Objections

Hillingdon Council has approved plans for a six-storey block of 31 flats on Tavistock Road in West Drayton. The decision, made by the council's planning committee, followed objections from residents who raised concerns about the development's impact on daylight and its perceived 'overbearing' nature. Councillors stated that the potential for a costly appeal process influenced their vote.

Resident Concerns Over Daylight and Scale

A total of 36 individual objections and a petition signed by 29 residents from neighbouring Padcroft Works were submitted against the scheme. Residents argued that daylight loss was a significant issue, with testing showing 15 out of 41 windows failed to meet architectural standards for daylight. Justyna Farhat, the lead petitioner, stated that daylight is 'fundamental to a decent home' and that new housing should not come at the expense of existing residents' light. Councillor Sophie Dror, representing Yiewsley, supported the residents, urging the committee to refuse the application and stating that housing targets should not compromise the quality of life for current residents.

A planning officer responded to the daylight concerns by noting that an independent inspector had reviewed similar issues during a previous appeal. The officer added that the current six-storey scheme offered an improved daylight compliance rate compared to an earlier, taller version that had been approved on appeal.

No Affordable Housing Included

The development will comprise 17 one-bedroom, 10 two-bedroom, and 4 three-bedroom homes. Crucially, none of the 31 new homes will be designated as affordable housing. This is due to a verified financial deficit of £160,855, which the council agreed made upfront affordable housing provisions unviable. The council noted that reviews would take place during development to assess if affordable housing could be provided if the financial situation improved.

Avoiding an Appeal

The decision to approve the current plans was influenced by the council's desire to avoid a potentially lengthy and expensive appeal process. An earlier, eight-storey version of the scheme, which proposed 32 flats, had been rejected by Hillingdon Council. However, the developer appealed to the Planning Inspectorate, and an inspector overturned the council's decision in September 2022. This approved scheme was never built, reportedly due to financial unviability, and expired after three years. Councillors acknowledged the residents' concerns but felt they did not have 'a completely free hand' due to the risk of a 'far worse outcome' if they refused and faced another appeal.

Councillor Philip Corthorne, Chair of the committee, stated after the decision: 'I’m sorry if that's not the outcome people wanted but if you’ve seen the report, you’ll have a sense of where we are.'