A new block of student accommodation is set to be built in West London containing over 400 rooms in a 23-storey building. Ealing Council’s Planning Committee granted approval to the project on Wednesday (January 15).
The site had previously been granted permission to build residential flats, however these will no longer go ahead. All councillors present voted in favour of the proposal apart from Councillor Anthony Young who did not vote. This is the third time this site has come before the Ealing Planning Committee.
The council believe altering the plans to provide purpose-built student accommodation will still help the local rental market. Documents state that the aim is to free up residential dwellings currently occupied by students, making them available for people looking to rent.
The block, which will be situated on The Green, Southall, will provide 424 student rooms across a single 23-storey building. The previous plans for residential flats included three blocks reaching 23, 19, and 14 storeys respectively, providing 95 flats.
A CGI of the 23-storey building set to provide over 400 rooms to students in Southall
The existing site is made up of vacant commercial spaces that are between one and three storeys high. The plans will involve the complete demolition of the existing building to make way for the development.
Deputy Mayor of Ealing Cllr Anthony Kelly told the committee he was ‘very happy to grant this application’. He said: “I think a student accommodation will add to what is already a very vibrant area in Southall.”
At the planning meeting on Wednesday an objection was raised by Angela Fonter, a local resident. She said: “There are no higher education facilities in Southall. It is not suitable for student accommodation, we need family homes.”
To mitigate the loss of commercial floorspace and impacts on the nearby town centre, a contribution of £60,000 will be made by the developer to fund improvements in the area. In addition, £40,000 will also be contributed to ‘support delivery of town centre initiatives aimed at strengthening Southall’s local economy’.
The tower block will be in an area of Southall which has seen significant development over the last few years, many of which have been tower blocks. The development is expected to lead to 452 jobs during the construction phase, and an additional five on-site jobs once the block is open. The council predicts Southall could see over £6 million reinvested in local businesses by students once open.
The block of flats in context with other nearby tower block developments
(Image: Tide/Ealing Council)
During consultation concerns were raised about congestion, antisocial behaviour, and overdevelopment. However the council does not share these views. The development is ‘not considered to have adverse impacts on nearby occupiers’, they claim.
The demolishment of the current site is expected to take place by April 2025, with the development ready for students to move in by the start of the 2026 academic year.
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