Plans to demolish a gym on Staines Road in Hounslow and replace it with 52 new homes have been approved, despite the development containing no affordable housing. The decision, made by Hounslow Council's Planning Committee, will see two blocks of flats, four and six storeys high, built on the site at 80-82 Staines Road, along with a terraced row of 13 houses.
Viability assessment sparks debate
The lack of affordable housing proved controversial, as council officers told the committee that the scheme was not viable for affordable units. The applicant's viability assessment claimed the project faced a £2 million deficit, while Hounslow's independent assessor calculated a lower deficit of £100,000. Since both assessments confirmed a funding shortfall, the council could not require on-site affordable housing.
To mitigate the shortfall, the committee imposed early and late-stage Section 106 review mechanisms. These are designed to secure financial payments or actual affordable units if market values rise or construction costs decrease in the future.
Housing mix and accessibility
The development will provide a mix of homes: 18 one-bedroom flats, 22 two-bedroom flats, nine three-bedroom flats, and four four-bedroom homes. At least 10 per cent of the project, including six two-bedroom flats, will be wheelchair accessible, in line with local policy.
Community contributions and objections
The developer has agreed to several financial contributions. These include £350,000 for a cycle lane on Staines Road, from Steve Biko Way to Hospital Road, and £36,742 to the NHS North West London Integrated Care Board (ICB) to expand GP infrastructure and address healthcare pressures from the estimated 96 new residents. Additionally, £25,000 will fund a future council Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ) review and public consultation to address potential overflow parking from the car-free development.
The original design, consulted on in November 2023, drew 30 objections from residents, who expressed concerns over building heights, loss of privacy, traffic, and the loss of the popular local gym. In response, the applicant redesigned the blocks, reducing flatted building heights and adding timber screening on roof terraces to prevent overlooking. After re-consultation in August 2025, objections dropped to just three, and the nearby Wetherspoon pub formally withdrew its objection regarding deliveries and overshadowing.
Councillors clash over affordable housing
During the meeting, former Labour-turned-Green councillor Guy Lambert clashed with former Labour cabinet member Cllr Karen Dunne over the lack of affordable housing. Cllr Lambert said: “We’ve got a policy that says we want affordable housing, if people come and say 'we can’t do it', we should say 'go away and come up with something [that aligns] with our policy'. That is my opinion, that was my opinion last week, nobody agreed with me, it’s my opinion now.”
Cllr Dunne responded: “I don’t think it’s fair to say no one agrees with you, we all think that would be the right thing to do in a perfect world, but we know that if we do do that, the applicant will have a legal case to appeal and it will go to an appeal because they have a viability assessment that has been independently assessed.”
Cllr Lambert pushed back, arguing that people have always used that argument, citing how it is still used now. The Chair then intervened, urging the pair to save their disagreements for the debate.
All councillors voted in favour, apart from Cllr Lambert and Cllr Tony Louki, Labour’s Chief Whip, who also voted against the development.
