A major West London housing project once feared to be at risk of cancellation will not only proceed but has been expanded to include dozens of additional homes.
Ealing Council’s planning committee on Wednesday evening approved amended plans for the redevelopment of the Waitrose site in West Ealing, increasing the total number of apartments from 428 to 465.
The decision comes just weeks after the site’s owner, the John Lewis Partnership (JLP), announced it was withdrawing from the "build-to-rent" housing market due to a "fundamental shift" in economic conditions.
Despite the retailer’s exit from the sector, the project has been "expanded in all but name." By moving the supermarket’s service yard to the ground floor and reducing floor-to-ceiling heights, developers were able to squeeze in an additional 37 homes without increasing the overall height of the towers.
At the meeting, a planning officer explained that while JLP is stepping back from its role as a landlord, it will "remain a delivery partner" and is currently seeking a new "operating partner" to take over the management and construction of the homes.
The revised scheme includes:
465 rental flats across four towers reaching up to 20 storeys.
A modernised Waitrose store with an updated pedestrian entrance.
Relocated café and a reconfigured public square.
Individual heat pumps for every apartment as part of a revised energy strategy.
The project has faced intense local opposition, with campaign group Stop The Towers previously accusing the council of having "bitterly betrayed" residents by not contesting the initial planning appeal in 2024.
Opponents have consistently argued that the "Waitrose Towers" are "inappropriately high" for the area. However, the Planning Inspector previously ruled that the need for housing, particularly on brownfield land near the Elizabeth Line, outweighed the concerns regarding the scale of the buildings.
Under the new approval, affordable housing will continue to make up 20% of the scheme by habitable rooms, with the overall number of affordable units increasing slightly due to the higher total flat count.