Hillingdon Council is moving forward with plans to demolish the Lobster Pot car park in Uxbridge and build a 162-bed nursing home, after talks with a private developer collapsed. The council has allocated £488,211 to fund the planning and design stages, taking the project in-house to ensure future resilience in social care budgets.
Talks break down with developer
In November 2025, the council announced it would sell the site near the Civic Centre to a private developer. However, in March 2026, a senior council officer abruptly decided to cease negotiations with the proposed purchaser. Documents do not specify why the talks broke down. As a result, the sale was scrapped, and in April 2026 the council decided to manage the project directly.
Funding and design
The cabinet rushed through an urgent decision to release £488,211 for planning and design. So far, £227,436 has been awarded to Hunter and Partners Ltd for architectural and building safety services. The council is now hiring architects and consultants directly, rather than relying on a developer.
The tallest element of the building will be five storeys facing Hillingdon Road, and officials say it will not overlook nearby houses. The design aims to complement the Civic Centre and nearby historic buildings.
Jobs and facilities
The care home is expected to create 100 to 120 local onsite jobs in care, support, catering, and maintenance, along with construction jobs. It will offer a range of room types to suit different budgets, but all residents will have access to the same care and facilities, including secure landscaped gardens with sensory planting, outdoor seating, an allotment, a café, hair salon, resident lounges, dining rooms, and a cinema room.
The site will provide 35 parking spaces, including electric vehicle charging and accessible bays, and is said to improve the pedestrian environment along Cricket Field Road.
Addressing bed shortage
Hillingdon currently has an undersupply of 549 care home beds, and by 2034 this is expected to grow to 649. Only 18 per cent of existing care home bedrooms in the area meet modern standards. In October 2025, the council stated that the development would provide a cost-effective approach to increasing adult social care places while reducing reliance on costly private sector provision.
Once complete, the council intends for The Hillingdon Care Company, a Special Purpose Vehicle owned by the council, to take over the facility under a leaseback arrangement. The plans still require a formal planning application, and it is unclear when this will be submitted.
