Call for review of tower block plan at Alperton bus garage

Cllr Anton Georgiou has asked Robert Jenrick, secretary of state for housing, communities, and local government, to refer the proposals at Alperton Bus Garage to the Planning Inspectorate.

Cllr Anton Georgiou says the Conservative Government have a lot to answer for regarding their handling of this crisis (Image: Anton Georgiou)

Brent Council’s planning committee in April approved a 461-home scheme at the site in a building up to 28 storeys high.

This was despite objections from Cllr Georgiou, former councillor Paul Lorber and the Wembley Central and Alperton Residents’ Association, who all suggested it would have a negative effect on the area.

Liberal Democrat Cllr Georgiou said he decided to escalate the matter following “considerable feedback” from the community in response to the planning committee’s decision.

In his letter to Mr Jenrick, he argued the scheme would put additional strain on parking and traffic, as well as local services and facilities.

He said it goes against conditions outlined in a council growth plan for Alperton, limiting new tower blocks to 12 storeys, and pointed out a number of similar developments are in the pipeline near the bus garage site.

“Not only have local residents not been re-consulted about the major changes imposed by Brent Council since the originally agreed Alperton Growth Area plans, but the specific concerns from local people were also ignored,” he said.

“Developments of this size without any plan to deal with the existing major congestion and parking problems in the area have a major detrimental impact on local people.

“The current approach of Brent Council in squeezing massive tower blocks into such a small area is unrealistic and the views of local people should not be ignored any longer.”

In their report on the bus garage application, council officers recommended the scheme be approved on the basis “no adjoining sites would be unduly affected” by the development.

They said it would be a car-free development – save for 14 blue badge disabled bays – and new residents would be banned from applying for parking permits in nearby controlled parking zones.

Around a third of the properties would be deemed affordable, with 98 homes offered at London affordable rent levels and a further 57 up for shared ownership.

The development team said it had engaged with the local community and the council throughout the process while the block had been designed to bring “lasting benefit to the Alperton area and to Brent”.