The Leaf Development, Ealing

Planning Application submitted to Ealing Council by Glenkerrin UK Ltd, September 2007

This is a retail, residential and commercial development of six new buildings in the centre of Ealing on a 4.2 acre site which encompasses the current Arcadia retail area and more. The site includes the whole area north of the Uxbridge Road from Springbridge Road to the corner of The Broadway and north over the railway line to the southern end of Haven Green. All existing buildings on this site would be demolished except for those which house The Carphone Warehouse and Sainsbury's. The site was designated in 2002 by the Council as Development & Area Improvement Site EB2.

Glenkerrin's name for the development is The Leaf Development. The most significant new element of The Leaf Development site is the building of  704 flats. 14% of these flats will be designated as affordable housing units. The Council's Unitary Development Plan (UDP) stipulates that there should be 50% affordable housing units.

The most noticeable aspect of the proposed development is a very tall, residential tower block, to be called ‘The Leaf', which would be significantly taller at 143 metres than Centre Point in London's West End at 117 metres. (A height of 173 metres AOD is quoted in Glenkerrin's specification, but this means Above Ordnance Datum ie above sea level. The site where The Leaf would be built is 30 metres above sea level) The Leaf tower, along with two other buildings, would be built over the railway lines. Three other new buildings would be situated along the northern side of The Broadway (Uxbridge Road) and the southern end of Springbridge Road. Four of the residential blocks will have elevated central courtyard gardens and communal roof terraces. Three of the blocks would have ‘green roofs' and be accessible to residents and members of the public.

The number of residential car parking spaces would be 394, which would be contained in a double storey basement. There will also be 704 secure cycle spaces provided for residential use.

20,450 sq metres of new retail space will be created, which is over two-thirds of the size of the existing retail space in Ealing Broadway Centre. The overall net increase (over and above what is already there) in retail area would be 4,863 sq metres, which falls within the Council's UDP requirements. There are no proposals for providing car parking places for visitors to these new shops and in fact the existing 74 Arcadia car parking spaces will be lost. However, there appears to be evidence that the Springbridge Road car park is significantly underused and Glenkerrin believes that its new development will stimulate the increased use of this car park There will be 56 secure cycle spaces provided for public use.

A small amount of new office space would be provided (1,168 sq metres) as well as a new health and fitness club (1,728 sq metres). A ‘civic' piazza-style space would be provided in the centre of the development and a series of pedestrian routes connecting to Haven Green and in all other directions. The current commercial car park, which is situated immediately to the north of the railway on the site, would be lost.

No new roads would be provided and there are no new facilities provided for cars, buses or taxis. No integration is provided with Ealing Broadway Station and there is no improved pedestrian access to the Station. These elements fall outside the requirements for developing this site.

The projected start date for the project is January 2009 with a scheduled completion date of January 2014. Glenkerrin UK, part of the Glenkerrin Group formed in Ireland in 1988, specialises in residential and commercial property development.

Updated
Eric Leach
2nd November 2007