55 West would be the tallest building in Ealing and contain only ‘affordable’ housing – made possible because of an extended negotiation with landowners and the an ‘innovative combination of contracts’ that means Southern Grove will never actually own the land outright, it says.
55 West would be constructed at the junction of Manor Road, Argyle Road and Drayton Green directly next to West Ealing station where the new Elizabeth Line will call.
55 West would have 149 apartments for residents paying either the London Living Rent (approximately 60% of market rates) or using London Shared Ownership.
The application is expected to go to planning committee for a decision by the end of November 2019.
Southern Grove took two years of negotiations with five landowners to reach a point where individual arrangements over each separate property came together. In each case, Southern Grove has secured a contract to develop the land in partnership with the landowners, once planning permission is secured. Each contract had to be tailored to each vendor’s needs concerning price, timing and existing tenancy agreements. Landowners have also received a non-refundable deposit.
The 55 West application follows recent proposals by another developer, A2Dominion, to build a 25-storey skyscraper at a site 100 metres to the south, of which only 35% is affordable homes.
Recognising that his plans are likely to run into local opposition, Southern Grove chairman Andrew Southern said: “We have chosen to begin looking at sites not just from a policy compliant view but with the belief that, given the scale of the problem, provision of affordable homes in design-led properties should be an aspiration rather than a chore. So it’s decision time for London. Are we serious about meeting housing need and creating genuinely desirable, affordable homes, or is it just something politicians are going to continue paying lip service to?
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