Plans to demolish a hospital building and former ambulance station in Wembley for a 108-home development were approved, then rejected, and ultimately deferred within a 15-minute period, following a chaotic planning committee meeting.
Developer's Proposal and Committee Vote
Fairview Estates Limited submitted plans to redevelop the Old Wembley Hospital site, with the project set to deliver 108 homes in residential buildings ranging from three to six storeys tall. The developer argued the scheme would revitalise a currently 'underutilised and an oppressive' plot.
The scheme was reviewed by Brent Council's planning committee on July 2 but no determination was made initially. Members voiced concerns over issues including the low provision of affordable housing, potential traffic congestion from a lack of parking spaces, the building's historical significance, and loss of light to nearby properties.
Following an extensive two-hour discussion, the committee's vote was evenly split, with four members in favour and four against. This deadlock led to the committee Chair, Cllr Saqib Butt, exercising his casting vote to approve the development.
Voting Irregularity and Rejection
Yet, the decision was short-lived. After a brief recess, the committee reconvened to learn that one of the councillors who had voted for approval, Cllr Iftekhar Ahmed, had not been present for the entire debate. Council regulations stipulate that a member must be present for the full review to be eligible to vote. Consequently, no final determination was made on the application.
This meant that, now with just three votes in favour and four against, the plan was rejected by the committee. But it wasn't finished there, as a council officer suggested the reasons for refusing the application would be 'difficult to defend' on appeal and could result in a 'significant risk' of costs being awarded against the council.
Deferral and Next Steps
The decision was ultimately taken to defer the planning application until a later date and, in the meantime, officers will prepare a report addressing the issues for the committee to consider.
The Old Wembley Hospital operated within the existing buildings from 1928 until 2000 when all frontline medical, clinical or healthcare treatment ceased following the opening of the new Wembley Centre for Health and Care. The site then provided a 'back of house function' until it was deemed 'redundant and surplus to needs' in 2019, according to the developer. It was temporarily used to store personal protective equipment (PPE) during the Covid-19 pandemic but has been identified by the developer as an 'inactive and underutilised' urban brownfield site that is ripe for development.
Affordable Housing and Other Concerns
The redevelopment plans include 28 one-bedroom, 54 two-bedroom and 26 three-bedroom properties. Of the new homes, 99 would be flats and nine would be houses but just 11 are set to be 'affordable' – just over 10 per cent of the total. This is considered acceptable due to the findings of a viability assessment.
As well as the affordable housing numbers, the council officer said it would be difficult to defend the other reasons committee members gave for refusal – and the local authority would likely lose any appeal.
The questionable reasons for refusal included the claim of congestion on surrounding roads, with the officer noting that parking permit restrictions imposed on the future residents would limit the congestion. The loss of light to a nearby property was described as 'limited', meaning that was not a solid reason for refusal, plus the site is not a designated heritage asset meaning it has no additional protections from development.
