Mount Anvil and Catalyst get green light for 1,228-home regen scheme

Mount Anvil and housing association Catalyst have been granted planning permission to significantly expand a regeneration project in west London.

The pair were this week given permission to extend their regeneration of the Friary Park estate in Acton from a previously approved 990 homes to 1,228. The mixed-use, phased development will see eight blocks constructed ranging from 14 to 24 storeys in height.

Ealing councillors approved the plan to add 238 extra homes and increase the footprint of four blocks and the height of one block from 12 to 17 storeys. Just under half of the homes (46%) will be for affordable tenures.

Planning papers at Wednesday’s meeting said: “In part as a result of the Covid 19 pandemic the decision was taken to review the previously approved scheme to identify opportunities to enhance the proposals and deliver additional planning benefits including affordable housing.”

Planning permission for the original version of the scheme was granted in November 2020, and construction of the first 652-home phase began in March 2021 and is now ‘well advanced’ according to planning committee papers.

Papers from Wednesday night’s planning meeting said: “In part as a result of the Covid 19 pandemic the decision was taken to review the previously approved scheme to identify opportunities to enhance the proposals and deliver additional planning benefits including affordable housing.”

The landscape design of the scheme has also been updated to include a community square and more community and amenity facilities added.

See also: Catalyst and Hill Group submit 995-home plan to Haringey Council

Richard Smith, regional managing director for London at Catalyst, said “With our partners at Mount Anvil, we’ve listened to the community, and have made changes to our proposals to deliver more homes and enhance the neighbourhood for everybody to enjoy.”

Catalyst earlier this year became a subsidiary of 104,000-home association Peabody and is expected to fully amalgamate in April.

The Friary Park estate was built by Laing Homes for private sale in the late 1980s, but was later acquired by Catalyst and rented out as social housing. The 230 existing buildings, which are being demolished, were “blocks of poor quality, falling well below modern space standards, particularly in terms of bedroom numbers or sizes, are poorly insulated and do not benefit from adequate heating” according to planning committee papers.