News

Redevelopment of Alperton Bus Depot: Moving in the right direction

In its final virtual planning committee on the 29 April, the London Borough of Brent approved Telford Homes’ proposal for the redevelopment of Alperton Bus Depot to provide 461 new homes. Turley provided Heritage, Townscape and Visual Impact Assessment services for the project.

The scheme will include Build-to-Rent and 40% affordable housing, together with new industrial floorspace, a cafe and a community centre.

Our Heritage, Townscape and Visual Impact Assessment services were part of a collaborative team that proactively engaged with the council to make the case for optimisation of height and massing in this highly accessible location. Key constraints were the adjacent locally listed station building; the transition from the site to the surrounding suburban townscape; and, nearby locally listed parkland. The site is located within a Tall Building Zone, with general building heights of 26 storeys being identified as appropriate in Alperton.

Despite the local authority’s initial preference for a nearby consented scheme to remain the tallest in the emerging cluster, at 26 stories, we were able to demonstrate that a scheme with three blocks of 21, 26 and 28 storeys could be accommodated as part of successful place-making.

Our Vu.City work

We used Vu.City as a tool for demonstrating height, views testing and supporting the case for further densification during a series of pre-application meetings with the council, the GLA and a presentation to the Design Review Panel. This was supported by targeted advice, informed by Vu.City images and robust analysis to articulate the significant place-making benefits. We also held a virtual workshop with council officers to ‘walk them round’ the Vu.City model and demonstrate effects on short and long distance views, set within the evolving modelled context of the wider Growth Area. That process of compelling engagement and advocacy meant that the client received support for the height and massing of the scheme from the council’s urban design officer prior to submission.

The proposals also confirm the more rigorous approach of the recently adopted London Plan in making the case for tall buildings, with strong policy support now particularly important in justifying densification and significant change in an otherwise suburban context.

To accompany the planning application we prepared a robust Townscape and Visual Impact Appraisal (TVIA) with Heritage Statement. The architects working on the scheme are TP Bennett.

Construction work is set to commence later this year.

17 May 2021