Forum Topic

Perceval House Redevelopment

I am painfully aware of the redevelopment of the council building (to include a 20 story skyscraper) to start next year. According to an email sent by my local ward councillor, the building is to be handed over to the developers in May 2018.I have not seen any way of residents to make their thoughts known on this subject. I cannot find a planning permission application for this redevelopment, and nothing has been mentioned on this site, SEC, even lampposts or otherwise. Is this a done deal? I am a close neighbour of this site and find the whole 20-story skyscraper idea slightly odd to put it mildly. Does anyone have any information on this? Thanks.

Anna Henderson ● 3015d17 Comments

I see your point. Maybe they are assuming Blade Runner style flying cars by the time the development is finished.

Andy Jones ● 2995d

You have to wonder where that car even came from?  It can't have turned left from Longfield Avenue because you can't.  Perhaps it did a U-turn after finding the Uxbridge Rd completely blocked by a traffic light and a bunch of trees.Awful, awful drawing.

Andy Vaughan ● 2995d

Perhaps they are looking forward to a future of autonomous vehicles with collision control although the presence of a traffic light in the picture contradicts this idea.

Andy Jones ● 2996d

The streetscape is suggestive of Exhibition Road with vehicles and pedestrians sharing the same carriageway.  But on Uxbridge Road?  However good to see that the notorious "no right turn" sign into Longfield Avenue has been faithfully reproduced.

Philip Coe ● 3001d

That perspective seems carefully cropped to avoid showing the tower at the rear of the development. It also suggests quite a lot of pavement space with the building encroaching much further out than Perceval House. As the drawings show pedestrians casually strolling across the Uxbridge Road maybe they think we won't need pavements.

Andy Jones ● 3001d

No, is it a vastly improved design as needed?

Martin C. Harris ● 3003d

I'm referring to the one shown in the article on getwestlondon, not Ealing Today.  It shows a different perspective:http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/news/west-london-news/perceval-house-development-hundreds-affordable-13458473

Terry Freestone ● 3003d

The one in the news item on this site dated 9th August.

Martin C. Harris ● 3003d

What perspective are you referring to? Is it the one shown in the item on the front page?

Helena Cavanagh ● 3003d

Terry Farrell was one of Britain's leading architects but agree his scheme for Ealing looks truly awful if that perspective is to be believed.

Martin C. Harris ● 3006d

If you look at the artist's impression that's been given on getwestlondon it looks like the Council have decided that 1960s bland blocks is the way to go.  I see Farrells is the architect on this-designers of the most hideous buildings in London.

Terry Freestone ● 3007d

I agree for the most part Helena. My concern is more the widespread trend of building and or replacing with generic 'modern' buildings, which may in 20 or so years look much like Perceval House or the old TVU/Westel House - aging quickly and in need of replacement. The proliferation of modern high rises DOES, in my option, damage the overall feel of the Broadway. No doubt there will be more on 9 - 42 The Broadway at some point as this seems a losing battle. As a side point, the YMCA building on bond street for example is being lost due to the filmworks development, I am not sure why this couldn't have been integrated into the design somehow? It's a complex issue and often one of taste no doubt, but I can't help but feel that the council and developers just don't really care how these new developments fit in with what we have.

Anna Henderson ● 3007d

I quite like the design of Perceval House although probably not enough to protest its removal and it can't be said its loss does anything to damage the Victorian/Edwardian aspects of the Broadway.

Helena Cavanagh ● 3007d

The Council and the developers would argue that the long term benefit is jobs and homes. It is hard to argue with this but there is a great danger that eradicating every last vestige of character from the town centre will Croydonise Ealing. There will be tens of thousands of new residents coming in and it is unreasonable to ask them to form a proper attachment to their new area if the local authority seems to believe there was nothing of value here before they arrived.

Andy Jones ● 3008d

Very possible, sadly. I have actually found the following on the council webpage: "Following cabinet approval of the choice of preferred developer, further discussions will take place and the proposals will be drawn up in more detail and will go through a full planning process, which will involve statutory consultation with residents.  Detailed design will begin in the autumn with a decision on the planning application not expected before spring 2018."Not too much time for any back-and-forth about the planning it seems... We'll wait and see I suppose. I'm far from a nimby but I do feel a lot of the recent developments in ealing lack imagination, are out of keeping with the local character and go as far as to destroy perfectly reasonable Edwardian/Victorian building stock. The council's relentless obsession of trying to get high-rise buildings in a generally low-rise suburb is very strange. I find it hard to see the long-term benefit.

Anna Henderson ● 3015d

They have only just selected the developer for the site and a planning application won't be submitted until March at which point people will be able to lodge objections. See article on front page.It is perhaps unfair to accuse the Council of a lack of transparency. The details of both short-listed tenders were put in the public domain and CGI images (misleading as they may be) have been published.As the Council is effectively the applicant I don't think that even an overwhelming level of objections would affect the planning process but they might have an impact politically. Whether the potential loss of votes would be sufficient to change the Council's mind is debatable. They may well be on course to increase their votes because of Brexit - remember this is an election in which EU citizens can vote.

Andy Jones ● 3015d

Is it not telling that this property is handed over to the developers around the same time as the council elections so that even if we have a regime change it will be to late for the new council to reverse the decision.I would suggest this is why there is very little information on this matter,minimal transparency= smooth running for those on the make.The little people [you and I]don't count.

Bob Little ● 3015d