A new five-storey care home is to be built in West London with shops and a hair salon set to be demolished.
The specialist care facility was approved unanimously by the Hounslow Planning Committee on Thursday (May 1). The facility will be in 1-15 Chiswick Terrace on Acton Lane in Chiswick.
The existing site is a three-storey block occupied by shops on the ground floor and residential flats on the upper floors. The independent shops, hair salon, and homes will be demolished to make way for the care home. The new building will result in a net loss of retail space, however there will be some retail space provided on the ground floor.
The home will provide 85 ensuite bedrooms to residents who require 24-hour personal care. There will be a stringent process to ensure that the rooms are only given to those in need of support for all daily activities who cannot live independently.
The facility is a private development and not a council-run care home - residents will have to pay to live there. It will be operated by Care Concern Group - a company that operates care homes across the UK, with a particular focus on general nursing and dementia care.
Five of the provided bedrooms will be reserved for Hounslow borough residents at a 20 per cent discounted rate as per the Section 106 agreement. There will be no on-site parking but four off-site blue badge bays and 18 cycle spaces will be provided.
The site sits in the Turnham Green Conservation Area. According to planning documents the development aligns with the Turnham Green Conservation Area Appraisal as it replaces a 'negatively contributing building', introduces greenery and active frontages.
However, Chiswick and Gunnersbury Councillor Joanna Biddolph disagreed. She told the committee that like nearby recent developments this will be out of character with the local area.
She said: "In my view this new block will join Empire House and Chiswick Post Office as being out of character with the conservation area… it's an opportunity lost to build something more in keeping with the local area and all of its local assets."
There will also be a variety of onsite communal amenities for residents to access. These include lounges and dining areas on each floor, a library/study area, a hair salon, tea room, cinema, and ice cream parlour.
A hair salon will also be provided on the ground floor. The applicant intends for the hair salon to be accessible to members of the wider community at certain times.
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