This news appeared in Ealing Nub News and the Ealing Times.

Ealing Central and Acton MP Rupa Huq and community groups have expressed their disappointment after Ealing Council approved the controversial Perceval House redevelopment plans by 8 votes to 4 last night (31 March).

The Council’s planning committee met virtually during the pre-election (or purdah) period on Wednesday to vote the scheme through after the last meeting on 10 March was blighted with technical issues. The decision to abolish Perceval House and replace it with blocks of flats, including a 26-storey tower, passed despite four votes against (Cllrs Conlan, Ball, Young, Sumner) and one abstention (Cllr Anand).

Local MP Rupa Huq slammed the proposal in a five minute speech during the meeting. “477 new homes – but none at social rent,” Huq said. “Shameful! No consultation for a year. But 2300 and rising objections – huge local opposition.”

She added that the plan would adversely impact the elderly residents of nearby Apsley House. Located on Longfield Avenue adjacent to the Town Hall, Apsley House is housing for people aged 55 and over who occupied council or housing association homes with one or more spare bedrooms. Huq said they “would face living on a building site [with] 78 per cent of their light stolen […] – ignored as they’re seen as set to die soon anyway.” Huq also raised concerns about fire safety, as well as the lack of genuinely affordable housing and three-bedroom family units.

Of the 477 units, only 28 will be three-bedroomed, with retail premises on the ground floor. The plan meets the 50 per cent threshold of “affordable” homes, which means it can bypass viability negotiations. Campaigners have argued that many of the promised Discounted Market Rent properties are not genuinely affordable, and will not address Ealing’s need for more social housing.

After the almost three-hour meeting, Huq told us: “I am deeply disappointed by the decision to approve the hideous Perceval House redevelopment plans. The commercial developers, Vistry, are calling all the shots here. They haven’t listened to locals for over a year and refuse involvement of Ealing Council’s new standing panel to assess planning application quality. Its internal design review gerrymander was back in 2019. So much of what is being proposed here completely goes against the Council’s planning policy.

“Ealing needs more genuinely affordable housing for working families, not high-rise luxury flats that will sit empty. Despite the thousands of objections, despite the many legitimate concerns that have been raised, the planning committee has given carte blanche for these greedy developers to transform municipal land into a series of ugly blocks that don’t adhere to fire safety best practice.”

When asked what steps she would take next, Huq said: “Watch this space.”

Justine Sullivan of Stop The Towers said:  “I’m disappointed, but not at all surprised with the result, because Ealing have failed to keep their local plan up to date. This has allowed mass over-development and tall buildings to be built in inappropriate places with no regard to the negative impact they have.

“We are really shocked and saddened that some of the councillors totally dismissed the voices and concerns raised by the pensioners at Apsley House. This is a very poor legacy for the future of Ealing.”

And Will French, co-founder of Ealing Matters and Chair of Save Ealing’s Centre, said: “This is a huge scheme that will impact on many local residents and change Ealing for ever. If you look at it carefully you’ll see there are next to no real benefits from the plans particularly in our new post-Covid world when the demand for both council office space and high rise blocks of flats looks to have peaked. Ealing needs to pause for a while to reflect on what it is trying to do and consult with stakeholders including the Ealing public about what’s best for the Borough.”

The scheme will now be referred to the Greater London Authority and the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government for final planning approval. The demolition of Perceval House could start as soon as this December if they agree.

An anti-Perceval House redevelopment video put out by Huq ahead of the meeting has received over 2000 views on Twitter alone.