Masterplan proposals on behalf of the applicant, NEG The Treaty Ltd, a subsidiary of the Eatos Group, have been submitted to bring forward a scheme for the mixed-use redevelopment of the Treaty Centre, High Street in Hounslow at the 2.80-hectare site. The London Borough of Hounslow will be determining stage 1 consent.
The Treaty Shopping Centre currently occupies most of the Site and has been operating since 1987. Since then, it has had several minor extensions and changes of use applications for individual units.
Large-format retail is no longer attractive to the retail market, resulting in the loss of Wilko and other retailers, such as Debenhams, vacating, and the vacancy rate within the shopping centre increasing every year.
Despite continued marketing activities, the indoor shopping centre with large-format anchor stores is considered by the commercial market to be outdated, in favour of outdoor, local streets containing flexible units for small to medium-format retailers.
The hybrid planning application seeks to secure a multiple and severable phased development. Phases 1a and 1 are to be approved in ‘full detail,’ and Phases 2 and 3 are to be approved in ‘outline.
The detailed elements are the subject of fixed floorspace areas, access arrangements, massing, appearance, landscaping layouts, car/cycle parking, and pedestrian access arrangements.
The outline elements are the subject of minimum and maximum floor space areas and unit numbers, maximum building heights, and layouts, with all matters except access reserved.
These outline elements will be guided by parameter plans, design codes, and conditions. The reserved matters for Phases 2 and 3 will be required to demonstrate compliance with the approved parameter plans, design codes and conditions.
Proposals seek to demolish most of the existing shopping centre and associated car parking, to be replaced by 1,379 homes across all rental tenures and dwelling sizes, with 472 in the initial detailed phase, with up to 907 for outline consent, which will be subject to an seperate future application.
The Proposed Development will deliver up to 1,379 new homes (at a density of 366dph), which represents 77% of the LPA’s annual housing target set out in the draft Local Plan. It is nearly double the indicative housing capacity of 750 new dwellings as outlined in the borough’s site allocation.
The Government’s 2023 Housing Delivery Test results confirm that the total number of homes required to be delivered in Hounslow in the past three monitoring years (2020-23) was 4,330, and the number of homes delivered was 4,694, meaning the LPA is currently delivering 108% of its housing delivery test measurement in the latest period.
At the point of writing, it was not possible to ascertain the precise tenure mix of the detailed phase, citing the cost of demolition and associated building costs.
The scheme would be delivered across three separate master plots, with two new access routes from Grove Road to the High Street, Hounslow shopping precinct.
The nearest London Underground Station is Hounslow Central, which is 350m north of the Site (equating to about a 6-minute walk). This station is served by Piccadilly line services, with connections to Heathrow Airport and Cockfosters via central London.
The nearest National Rail train station is Hounslow, which is 600m south of the Site (equating to about a 9-minute walk), with services to London Waterloo and Weybridge.
The Site is well-connected by buses. Bus stops are located along Grove Road on the southern edge of the red line boundary, which are served by 20 bus routes. These offer routes to Hammersmith, Richmond, Aldwych, White City, Brentford, Southall, Uxbridge, Heathrow, Twickenham, and Kingston.
The Site’s excellent access to public transport is reflected in a Public Transport Accessibility Level (PTAL) of the Site is 6a.
Proposals could also deliver a new cultural hub that would be delivered by the applicant, but would be down to the local planning authority to decide how the space is eventually used. It is designed to be flexiable space that can accommodate different occupiers’ needs.
The design and access statement includes an indicative drawings that demonstrate how the facility will be delivered: a 249-seat theatre, an auditorium, foyer, and café/Back of house uses which will be open to the public; three studios that are flexible and can be rented out for community use and operators; and 169 sqm of storage space which is suitable storage for the intended function of the Hub, which includes under-seat storage.
The applicant has appointed architects HTA Design to produce design and access proposals for the site.
