Hillingdon approved the partial demolition and redevelopment of an existing multi-storey car park within the former Hayes Park business park to deliver 52 new homes.
The scheme provides a mix of 16 one-bedroom flats and 36 three-bedroom flats, with 19 per cent of the homes, or 10 units, secured as affordable housing. The affordable offer would include 70 per cent Social Rent and 30 per cent Shared Ownership, and the Council accepted, following viability testing by its own consultants and the Greater London Authority, that this was the maximum deliverable provision. To safeguard delivery, approval is to be secured through a legal agreement with mechanisms for early- and late-stage viability reviews.
The development includes 52 parking spaces, 5 of which are disabled bays, together with 7 electric vehicle charging spaces. It also provides landscaping, communal and private amenity space, and play space, although there is a minor shortfall in on-site play space. The Council concluded that the proposal would meet most residential amenity requirements and would make effective use of a vacant site.
Planning officers found that the site forms part of the Metropolitan Green Belt but is previously developed land within the wider Hayes Park estate, which is already undergoing residential conversion. On that basis, and because the new building would sit among existing development and retained trees, the increase in built form was judged not to cause substantial harm to Green Belt openness. The scheme was therefore considered acceptable under paragraph 154(g) of the NPPF as appropriate development in the Green Belt.
The proposal was also supported by the high proportion of family-sized housing, with 69% of the units being three-bedroom homes. This was identified as a significant benefit in helping to meet local housing needs.
In heritage terms, the empty car park was not considered a heritage asset, but the new building would cause very low-level, less than substantial harm to the setting of the nearby Grade II* listed Hayes Park Central and Hayes Park South buildings by altering the pastoral character of the surroundings.
However, under paragraph 215 of the NPPF, that harm was judged to be outweighed by the public benefits of new housing, affordable homes, and regeneration of the site.
© 2026 UK Property Forums. All rights reserved.
This article and its contents are the intellectual property of UK Property Forums and may not be reproduced, distributed, or used in any form without prior written permission. The views expressed are those of the author(s) and do not constitute legal or professional advice.
