LONDON BOrOUGH OF HOUNsLOW GOLDEN MILE vIsION ... - …...innovators and drivers of UK...

GOLDEN MILEvIsION aND cONcEpt

MastErpLaN

LONDON BOrOUGH OF HOUNsLOW

36-40 York WayLondon N1 9AB

+44 (0)20 7843 3165www.uistuido.co.uk

RepoRt pResented by URban initiatives stUdio Ltd

in association with (sUb consULtant)

statUs FinaL

issUe no. 01

date issUed 16 apRiL 2014

FiLe name 4050_20140416_GoldenmileReport_ds_Final.indd

aUthoR david syme

Reviewed by pRoject diRectoR

hugo nowell

appRoved by desiGn diRectoR

this document has been prepared for the exclusive use of the commissioning party and unless otherwise agreed in writing by Urban initiatives studio Limited, no other party may copy, reproduce, distribute, make use of, or rely on its contents. no liability is accepted by Urban initiatives studio Limited for any use of this document, other than for the purposes for which it was originally prepared and provided.

opinions and information provided in this document are on the basis of Urban initiatives studio Limited using due skill, care and diligence in the preparation of the same and no explicit warranty is provided as to their accuracy. it should be noted and is expressly stated that no independent verification of any of the documents or information supplied to Urban initiatives studio Limited has been made.

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contents

4050Golden mile vision and concept masterplan

the team:Urban initiatives studioUrban movementGva

project director:david syme

document type:Final Report

16 april 2014

IntroductIon ....................................................................................5

hOW TO USE ThE DOCUMENT .................................................................. 5

01 oVErVIEW ..................................................................................................27

EXISTING ChARACTER AND TOWNSCAPE ............................................ 27LOCATION ................................................................................................... 7hISTORY ..................................................................................................... 8STRATEGIC CONTEXT ............................................................................... 9ECONOMIC CONTEXT ...............................................................................11hOUNSLOW CONTEXT .............................................................................13WhY A VISION AND CONCEPT MASTERPLAN ........................................14ThE SPATIAL STRATEGY ..........................................................................17AREAS OF TRANSFORMATION AND/OR CONSOLIDATION....................20

02 A PortrAIt oF tHE ArEA ............................................................27

EXISTING ChARACTER AND TOWNSCAPE ............................................ 27MOVEMENT AND ACCESS ....................................................................... 34SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC CONTEXT ........................................................ 34DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITY ....................................................................... 36SWOT ........................................................................................................ 42

03 concEPt MAStErPLAn ........................................................................45

URBAN STRUCTURE ............................................................................... 45QUANTUM OF DEVELOPMENT.................................................................47MOVEMENT AND ACCESS ....................................................................... 48MIX OF USES ............................................................................................ 50SCALE, hEIGhT AND MASSING .............................................................. 52

04 StAKEHoLdEr EnGAGEMEnt ..............................................................55

STAKEhOLDER EVENT 1 ......................................................................... 55

APPEndIcES .....................................................................................57

01 PROPERTY MARKET REVIEW ............................................................ 5702 SCENARIO TESTING ............................................................................6703 CONSULTATION NOTES .......................................................................69

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GrEat WEst rOaD

5the GoLden miLe vision and concept masteRpLan DRAFT RepoRT

INtrODUctION the Golden mile vision and concept masterplan has been prepared as a non-statutory planning document for the London borough of hounslow. the document has no planning status but will be used as part of the evidence base as a visioning document supporting the council’s emerging Local plan. the key principles of this masterplan will be embedded in the Local plan - the statutory planning document that will provide the vision and overarching direction to guide the future development of the whole borough.this document is visionary and deliberately aspirational. it has been prepared to explore several opportunities and at this stage does not seek to close down options which may be challenging.the areas of transformation/consolidation which have been identified within the document do not necessarily represent areas for comprehensive redevelopment. a range of scenarios will be tested through further, more detailed, design work at the next stage. this will explore the re-use of existing buildings, the intensifying of development around existing buildings and comprehensive redevelopment scenarios.the spatial proposals and infrastructure projects presented here will require further detailed investigation to test their feasibility, deliverability and potential costs. it will also be essential to carry out consultation with adjacent communities to get their views on the future of the corridor.

brentford Lock the m4 raised above the Great west Road

an area action plan (aap) for the corridor will be developed in due course where a programme of consultation and more thorough testing of proposals will be carried out.

How to use this documentthe masterplan document is divided into four sections:Section 01 - overview: this section provides and overview of the key issues to address when considering physical development of the corridor and our proposed strategic responses; Section 02 - portrait of the Area: provides a detailed evaluation of the existing context both physically and economically; and

Section 03 - Concept Masterplan: provides a more detailed overview of how the corridor will develop over that time including parameters on movement and access, land uses and building heights. Section 04 - Stakeholder engagement: provides an summary of the stakeholder engagement carried out to date.

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01 OvErvIEWLocationthe Golden mile is a stretch of the a4 / Great west Road (GwR) that runs from the chiswick roundabout in the east, 2.5 miles to Gillette corner in the west, and forms an important, strategic corridor into central London from heathrow airport.The adjacent aerial image identifies important buildings, places and streets within the Golden mile corridor.

1. Former Gillette Factory2. Grasshoppers Rugby club3. bskyb campus4. boston manor station5. boston manor park6. GlaxosmithKline7. University of west London 8. brentford Lock9. brentford station10. brenford high street11. brentford Football club12. Great west Quarter13. carville hall park 14. Kew palace15. Gunnersbury park16. Kew bridge17. Kew bridge station18. Kensington cemetery19. chiswick roundabout20. chiswick park21. syon Lane station22. the m423. the Great west Road (a4)24. Kew bridge steam museum

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Historythe Golden mile is so named as a result of the concentration of prominent businesses it attracted following the construction of the GwR in 1925. Large companies with household names such beechams, Gillette, Firestone and Lucozade took advantage of the strategic location and began locating their headquarters there, beginning an era of innovative, modern offices and factories and establishing a collection of iconic, art deco buildings along its length.constructed as a bypass for the heavily congested London Road that runs through hounslow and brentford, the Golden mile (a4) was extended to Kensington through chiswick and hammersmith between 1955 and 1957. two years later work began on the elevated m4 that passes through brentford and out of London towards south wales. this, and the rapid expansion of heathrow airport, saw a new wave of large multi-national companies such as Glaxo-smith Kline, sky and mercedes locate along the Golden mile taking advantage of the national and international connections. Whilst there has been significant and continued investment along the Golden mile, structural problems are apparent today, with severe traffic congestion and some empty and under used commercial premises. Recent development activity however including the construction of the Great west Quarter, refurbishment of wallis house, the alfa Laval site and Kia showcase demonstrate the corridors continued attraction for global companies to invest, locate and develop.

historic aerial

Gillette building


strategic contextWEstErN cOrrIDOrthe Golden mile is a key component of the eastern m4/a4 economic corridor often described as england’s “silicon valley” due to the concentration of technology companies and which extend from hammersmith through to newbury, Reading and swindon. the corridor is also home to a large number of financial service businesses including prudential, inG direct and allianz.a KpmG survey in october of this year plotted a heat map of technology workers and the firms that employ them using Office of National statistics (ons) data. it found that the country’s top ten clusters are all concentrated to the west and south-west of London. all are within reach of the m4, m3 and m25 motorways, and heathrow airport.

HEatHrOWthe importance of heathrow to hounslow’s overall economy and the success of the Golden mile in attracting major multi-national operators cannot be underestimated. the recent decision by the airports commission to shortlist heathrow’s expansion as two of the three options to address a shortage in aviation capacity could cement heathrows position as London’s primary aviation hub. the recent heathrow economic impact study 2013 indicating that of hounlsow’s 10,000 businesses some 10-15% operate within the heathrow supply chain and over 10% of jobs in the borough directly depend on the airport, whilst a further 16% of jobs are attributed under wider catalytic impacts.

strategic context

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tHE cOMING OF crOssraILthe delivery of crossrail will be hugely beneficial for west London’s economy providing new and improved access to and from a number of west London locations. this represents both an opportunity and threat to hounslow’s economic growth. crossrail will inevitably unlock development opportunities in close proximity to crossrail stations, which would then offer the same strategic connections as hounslow. however linking the Golden mile to this network will significantly improve accessibility and could help to attract further investment. a link to southall using the brentford branch line is in railway terms, quickly and cheaply achievable.

Hs2the high speed rail link between birmingham and euston London, if implemented will include a “superhub” at old oak common, north east of the Golden mile. it is hoped that this interchange will also include a direct connection to crossrail to provide rapid access to heathrow in the west and the city, canary wharf and stratford in the east.ambitious plans to transform the stations location into a thriving new district at old oak common by the GLa were unveiled towards the end of last year.the connections between Golden mile, southall and old oak common will enable direct rail connections between three of the areas identified for growth and intensification in the strategic plan for London.

strategic connections

old oak vision by GLa, LbhF, Lb ealing and Lb brentRoad connections


economic contexthounslow has a strong and competitive economy. i terms of growth, it ranks in the top ten of London boroughs with 8% growth between 2009 and 2011. This is reflected in employment figures with the London Skills and Employment Observatory and Office for National Statistics, identifying a figure of 73.0% employment rate in the borough in 2012, higher than the London (68.9%) and national (70.9%) averages. the proportion of residents aged sixteen and over who are unemployed was 7.2% in 2012 in hounslow again lower than both the London (9.0%) and national average (7.8%).overall, however west London’s economic output is still 3% below 2008 levels and Hounslow offers significant opportunity for further economic growth with 16,538 new jobs expected by 2030, ranking 2nd in west London and 11th in London. over 60% of these jobs (10,580) are expected by 2016. hounslow has excellent commercial capacity with scope for 13,700 new office jobs. More modest growth is expected in retail, (1,100 jobs), and industrial and other sectors, (1,000 and 780 jobs respectively). (source: London employments sites, GLa 2012).the relative performance of London’s key employment sectors is expected to change dramatically with the traditionally strong financial services sector expected to remain relatively flat whilst both the ‘Professional Services’ and ‘Information and Communication’ sectors experience strong growth.

GlaxosmithKline

bskyb headquarters

these two sectors form the heart of the ‘knowledge-based’ economy, encompassing a range of sub-sectors that are seen as key innovators and drivers of UK competitiveness. these include digital technology, life sciences, energy and green technology. importantly, whilst these now form a core component of the central London market they also offer the opportunity to diversify the employment base of London, with weaker ties to the city than the financial services sector.the nature of forecast growth is likely to place the Golden mile in a strong position to attract new business activity. the sectors that are forecast to grow the fastest and by the largest amount are those which the area already has an established market for. this market is underpinned by internationally recognised businesses such as bskyb, GsK and worleyparsons.the further alterations to the London plan Jan 2014 has identified the Golden Mile as a strategic outer London development centre for media with a strategic function of greater than sub-regional importance.

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spatial strategy for the borough from 2015 to 2030


Hounslow contextthe renaissance of the Golden mile is set within the context of the wider transformation of hounslow. the borough will:

Grow its population by 30,000 people to •

reach 280,000 by 2030;develop circa 12,300 new homes; •

create over 16,500 new jobs to meet the •

needs of its growing population;Significantly improve its connectivity to the •

rest of London and beyond; anddeliver a transformation of the physical •

environment.development will be directed to areas that have capacity for change, as indicated on the facing page, and the renaissance of the Golden Mile will contribute significantly to this transformation.

Other significant areas of change include:Hounslow town centre • , which will benefit from significant growth, directed predominantly on brownfield sites in and around the high street. the high street will recapture its civic role with the relocation of Hounslow Council offices, supported by a transformed public realm and new cultural and leisure attractions. concentrating uses and growth within the town centre will create a compact, prosperous and contained centre, highly accessible by public transport. this will be realised in part through the delivery of key sites such as the high street Quarter, civic centre, bus Garage and London Road north and south.Brentford District Centre • , which will be regenerated as a vibrant district centre that celebrates the town’s heritage and waterside location. this will be realised in part through the delivery of the brentford Waterside site and other smaller scale infill sites within the area providing new retail with a mix of employment, residential, leisure, entertainment and cultural uses. Western opportunity Area, • the role of this Opportunity Area will be further defined throughout the local plan period as the future of Heathrow Airport is confirmed. however it is envisaged that this area will become a stronger focus for major employment hubs as a consequence of the economic stimulus of heathrow.

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Why a vision and concept masterplan?the Golden mile corridor contributes significantly to the overall composition of hounslow’s and west London’s economic output. today the corridor continues to be a prized destination for global, european and UK head Quarters where 200 companies employ around 25,000 people. not since its conception in 1925 has a coherent, overarching vision for the Golden mile corridor been considered. the ethos and spirit of innovation, manufacturing and knowledge was instrumental in shaping the employment corridor we have today and continues to attract multi-national companies to the borough, but over time many new challenges have emerged. in particular the corridor is operating in a more competitive market and faces new economic, social and environmental pressures.there are a range of issues that will need to be addressed for the corridor to fully fulfill its potential:

INNOvatION aND skILLsthe key to future success in a knowledge based, high value-added economy is whether the borough and in turn the corridor can continuously innovate in products, processes and services. The corridor benefits from the presence of leading service and knowledge based industries, including GlaxosmithKline and worleyparsons, a strong university presence and will accommodate the future sky digital and media campus. there is also a growing creative and sme sector and significant land and premises available to accommodate future growth. the challenge for the future will be retaining existing employers in the face of strong competition elsewhere, retaining and attracting skilled graduates and workers through offering the right jobs and providing a high quality environment for workers and residents.

DIvErsItyto succeed in the future the Golden mile will have to differentiate itself from its competitors and offer a diverse and quality experience for workers, students and residents. the current lack of local amenities and facilities for employees is sited as a fundamental concern for business owners within the area. the areas underperforming local high street and poor links to existing amenities compound this problem.

cONNEctIvItythe quality of the connections are an important ingredient to an areas economic performance. as the western gateway to London and with direct links to heathrow airport the corridor is ideally located to be successful. However severe traffic congestion and poor public transport provision is undermining its performance.

“it is imperative that the road retains its commercial identity and reinforces its role as a gateway to London, but that it undergoes a renaissance in recognition of the major growth potential of hounslow, the calibre of businesses within its vicinity and the development interest within the borough as a whole. this renaissance should also incorporate the potential for new major infrastructure to address movement and access problems.”brendon walsh director of Regeneration, economic development and environment London borough of hounslow

15the GoLden miLe vision and concept masteRpLan DRAFT RepoRT 1515

to support sustainable economic growth improvements to public transport connections are essential. this includes improving local access to existing services, enhancing frequencies on existing services and provision of new strategic links to hs2 and crossrail.

tHE qUaLIty OF pLacEthe quality of place is central to attracting and retaining investors, employers, workers, students and residents to the area. the quality of the architectural, public realm, environmental, recreational, leisure and residential offer within the corridor and its surrounding context needs improving and diversifying.these softer location factors need to be addressed, building upon the areas of quality and diversity that already exist, and/or are emerging such as brentford Lock west, chiswick high street and Gunnersby park.

stratEGIc DEcIsION MakINGstrong leadership, vision and a long-term integrated and partnership approach will be crucial feature for the success of the Golden mile. the ability to mobilise strategic support consistently is a crucial feature to delivering long term development and to successfully improving an area.

“the main barrier was seen to be the quality of the wider areas where employers are located, which was suggested to limit the attractiveness to other business investors and create challenges to attracting and retaining staff. The ‘quality of place’ factors were wide-ranging and included:• A need to provide a wider range of uses/activities within key business areas, in particular the Great west Road, to provide shopping, restaurant and leisure amenities to employees during and after work hours.• Widening of the range of transport services, in particular the period over which regular rail services are provided to allow out of hours staff to access jobs without using a car.• Improvements to the environment in and around Stations to provide a more professional image for visitors to businesses.• The need to raise the quality of the town centre offer, in terms of its retail and amenity uses and wider public realm”employment Led Growth workshop 25 july 2013. Gva

this document and the policies embedded within hounslow’s emerging Local plan signal a clear commitment from the council to bringing forward a renaissance of the Golden mile corridor. this is substantiated by a recent track record of successful development including the Great west Quarter and brentford Lock. the presence of existing business groups including the west London alliance and Golden mile transport Group also provide an existing forum for stakeholder engagement.

the Golden mile vision and concept masterplan, responds to these challenges to provide a strategy and direction for the corridors renaissance over the next 20 years and to support the London borough of hounslow’s aim to deliver a step change, for hounslow.

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the Vision for the Golden Mile is “to successfully re-invigorate the Golden Mile, recapture the spirit and ethos of its historic past and provide the basis for a renaissance of the corridor into a successful, high quality, 21st century destination for employers, workers, residents and visitors.”


the spatial strategythe plan opposite shows the spatial strategy for the Golden mile and its surrounding context.a number of areas of transformation and/or consolidation have been identified which seek to strengthen the corridors economic base and help to diversify its offer. with improved links running north south and east west the corridor will be anchored back to brentford high street, chiswick high street and Kew bridge in a much more positive manner, improving accessibility to and from new and existing quarters and providing the critical mass and accessibility required for improved infrastructure. Access to green space will be significantly improved, with better connections to Gunnersbury park, the River brent, osterley park, syon park and others.integral to the spatial strategy are four strategic infrastructure projects:

1 sky LINEwe envisage a new shuttle service (potentially sponsored and branded by bskyb) that would provide direct links between the employment corridor and Great western main Line/crossrail and provide excellent and fast connections to both heathrow and central London. it is envisaged that the shuttle service would use an existing freight line that links southall crossrail station with the Golden mile. this would be similar in length and frequency to the popular windsor-slough route. In the first instance this could be provided quickly and cheaply by running a conventional rail service along the existing tracks. it is feasible that this could be converted to tram/train or dLR technology in the future and feed brentford town centre, brentford station or syon Land and the south west trains line.

2 BOstON BOarDWaLka new boardwalk from the Great west Road across the canal/m4 to boston manor tube station to reduce walking and cycling times to the piccadilly Line (currently links to piccadilly Line are provided via public or private bus from osterley). this would raise the public transport accessibility Level (ptaL) of the area considerably.

artist impression of skyline

indicative study of boardwalk prepared by bskyb.

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3 tHE GOLDEN LINkintroduction of a new passenger service between hounslow mainline station and wilsden junction (via old oak common) – calling at syon Lane and brentford. this relates to wider aspirations to improve orbital transport provision from hounslow and is connected to the wider business case for high speed 2 (hs2) - although some solutions being explored could be implemented in advance of hs2 commencement. this would provide direct links to the north and with the proposed old oak common west London transport interchange hub (as well as jubilee Line services and thameslink services at harlesden station and brent cross station to the north respectively). a new station along this route should also be explored at Lionel Road south.

4 tHE GrEat WEst cycLEWaythe a4 is already equipped with the makings of an excellent cycle corridor: For most of the route from Gillette corner to the chiswick Roundabout there is a bi-directional cycle track on each side of the road. one of the principal obstacles in creating excellent cycle facilities – finding the space – has therefore already been largely overcome. nevertheless, important changes are needed in order to deliver the full potential of the existing cycle infrastructure – to turn it into the ‘Great West Cycleway’ (GWC). providing a safe, segregated and continuous route the Great west cycleway could function as the primary east-west route to and from central London and benefit from being able to draw cyclists from a wide catchment north and south of its alignment.

MakING tHE GrEat WEstErN rOaD “GrEat” aGaIN.supporting these are a number of local level improvements which will help humanise the Golden mile, reducing the segregation and visual impact of the GwR and m4 along the corridor. including:

providing improved lighting and public realm •

at key north-south junctions under the m4; developing an art strategy to celebrate the •

m4/GwR; andcreating a coherent thread through the use •

of a recurring elements such as lighting, banners or planting.

these transport improvements are fundamental to unlocking the development potential of the area, would transform public transport accessibility across the area and link the Golden mile into London’s emerging strategic public transport network. these projects will help to future proof the area as one of west London’s most successful economic corridors.

the existing brentford station

the Great west cycle way?


“Mirage” underpass that reflect urban life underneatha lighting strategy to celebrate the m4Glasgow arts project

proposed strategic connections

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the four areas of transformation could deliver almost a million sqm (approx. 976,500sqm Gia) of new and/or consolidated development, investing in high quality buildings and public spaces, enhancing the corridors environment and connectivity.these areas will help to create distinctive offers along the corridor and strengthen the corridors economic base. as part of these mixed use sites there will be a requirement for sufficient social infrastructure including health facilities, education, leisure and community uses.the block structure within the areas of transformation/consolidation which have been identified do not necessarily represent areas for comprehensive redevelopment. a range of scenarios will be tested through further, more detailed, design work at the next stage. this will explore the re-use of existing buildings, the intensifying of development around existing buildings and comprehensive redevelopment scenarios.

BLUE skywe believe this project offers an opportunity for a west London innovation and new economic district that extends from southall to the Golden Mile. ‘Blue Sky’ sits at the heart of this vision and offers an ‘oven ready’ location for new and emerging businesses set within the landscape of the adjacent River brent, boston manor park and wyke Green. much more than chiswick park mark ii, this builds upon bskyb’s ambition for a new digital campus to form a new cluster for innovation, research and development, and digital enterprise.

Areas of transformation and/or consolidation

icity - olympic media centrethe old vinyl Factory - studio egret west: a creative solution for Gillette?


artist impression

the area has the potential to deliver the following:

bskyb campus - Gia up to 104,670m2, •

which will increase jobs from 8,496 to 12,000;the refurbishment of the Gillette building •

into a creative hub for new and emerging businesses, creative industries and live-work units;350,000m2 Gia of development which could •

include office space, high-tech/research and development industry and a limited amount of residential;the potential to create circa 12,000 jobs on •

top of those within the bsky b campus; andLimited residential development clustered •

around the south west adjoining existing residential development delivering circa 550 new homes.

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BrENtFOrD LOck NOrtHbuilding on the success of brentford Lock and the emerging isis development at brentford Lock west this area will capitalise on the quality of the brentford river environment, provide strong links between the Golden mile and brentford high street and become a key node for supporting amenities, recreational and leisure uses. commercial development will line the GwR retaining the corridors continuity as an economic corridor and also acting as a buffer for residential development behind.the area has the potential to deliver the following:

40,900m2 Gia of development which could •

include: 245 riverside residential units,; -

a small amount of retail/leisure use -supporting the cluster around brentford Lock west; andCirca 6,400m2 GIA of office space -fronting the GwR.

extending the quality of brentford Lock to the GwRResidential overlooking the river


tHE M4 GatEWayTravelling along the M4, this is the first encounter with London from the west. there is an opportunity here to create a welcoming gateway with a distinct identity and image that is befiting of this important location. This can build on the existing cluster of landmark buildings to the west (GsK, allianz, west London University, audi, wallis house) and extend this character along the m4 / a4 strip. we believe that corporate visibility and locality to the m4 is a key aspect in attracting certain businesses into the western Gateway. the western Gateway should have a dual function that provides a positive relationship with the Great western Road whilst maintaining landmark elements when viewed from the m4.more sensitive sites to the east adjacent to residential development will be limited in there scale but should explore other opportunities to contribute to this gateway through the quality of design and innovative architecture.the area has the potential to deliver the following:

280,000m2 Gia of development primarily •

comprising of office space, residential and a limited amount of retail;the potential to create circa 8,700 jobs; •

Residential development where appropriate •

adjoining existing residential development delivering circa 733 new homes.

a strengthened London GatewayLandmark development by Renzo pianon. central st Giles

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paddington basindevelopment around the emirates

kEW GatEa new mixed-use urban quarter centred around Kew bridge station, which draws on the qualities and values of chiswick and Kew. ‘Kew Gate’ will be a new west London place. it draws parallels with the earls court masterplan or paddington basin development in that it will inject vibrancy, urban life and a new focus into the area. the relocation of brentford Football club could provide the catalyst for a wider and more coherent transformation that improves connectivity with other local assets such as Gunnersbury park, chiswick high street, the River thames and Kew Gardens.the area has the potential to deliver the following:

brentford Football club proposals including •

20,000 capacity stadium, associated leisure uses and 910 new residential units.a new bus depot and enabling development •

above on capital interchange way;a new rail station adjacent to Lionel Road •

south;307,500m2 Gia of development primarily •

comprising of office space, leisure, residential and a limited amount of retail;the potential to create circa 7,617 jobs; •

Retail and leisure focused along chiswick •

high Road; andResidential development within the heart •

of the quarter delivering circa 1230 new homes.


artist impression

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BrENtFOrD LOck


existing character and townscapethe existing character of the Golden mile varies along its length arising from its history, context, existing land uses and the impact of the m4. three broad character areas can be identified along the stretch between Gillette corner and the chiswick Roundabout.

broad character areas

02 a pOrtraIt OF tHE arEa

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B C

this document draws upon a detailed baseline analysis of the area carried out by the London borough of hounslow as part of the brentford aap. this can be found on the council website.

Further more detailed work has subsequently been carried out as part of the c & c study has conducted extensive character appraisal on these areas. this again can be found on the council website.

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cHaractEr arEa a the western section of the Golden mile is closer to its original interwar/early post war form. the use is exclusively commercial. tall buildings at the eastern end form part of the cluster of high-rise commercial, educational and residential buildings where the elevated m4 motorway joins the GwR. these give way westwards, via the valley of the River brent/Grand Union canal, to a strip of business parks and large footprint commercial and retail boxes, some of which are fronted by remaining Art Deco office buildings.the River brent/Grand Union canal is the most prominent topographical feature of this character area, forming a valley from which the land rises northwestwards towards Osterley Park. The river flanks Boston Manor park to the north-east, a popular recreational destination though visually and acoustically compromised by the nearby motorway. this corridor provides links to brentford Lock and onto the western end of the high street. Historic buildings include the front office buildings of the original currys, pyrene and coty works and the entire Gillette factory building with its celebrated landmark clock tower. all that remains of the Firestone factory are its fenced walls, gate and steps. to the west are some examples of more austere early post-war commercial buildings including the national westminster bank. all of the above named structures are statutorily listed.

oblique aerial of character area a


heritage assets

Retail warehouses with remnants of the Firestone art-deco wall in the foreground

the River brent/Grand Union canalFine art-deco buildings

Brentford High Street

GSKSky Campus

Chiswick park

Kew Gardens

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cHaractEr arEa B This character area is defined by its fine grain of buildings with substantial areas of 19th century gridded street pattern, its diverse mix of use and overwhelmingly by the looming presence of the m4. central to the character area is a small parade of shops with three storey residential above and a scattering of other retail and community facilities. set immediately adjacent to the GwR the relationship between these buildings and the elevated m4 is often uncomfortable. most notably demonstrated between st john the evangelist church and the raised structure. Further north the predominant use is low-rise residential terraces. to the west the elevated m4 diverts northwards through boston manor creating an awkward urban space between the elevated structure and the GWR filled with structured parking, service areas and left-over public realm. a cluster of high-rise commercial, educational (University of west London paragon campus) and residential buildings form a gateway when travelling east into the area from the m4 and the GwR. development to the south is sandwiched between the m4/GwR and the railway line further to the south. the rear gardens and yards of historic residential buildings front onto the GwR. the alfa Laval site to the south-east has consent for the retention and refurbishment of the alfa Laval building for use as a hotel and car showroom with service centre. the remainder of the site being redeveloped to provide an additional 151 bed hotel, offices, and 206 flats, maisonettes and houses.

oblique aerial of character area b


existing broad land uses

existing cluster of high-rise development adjacent to m4awkward juxtaposition of the raised m4 and church

There are few historic buildings of significance within this area. the church of st john the evangelist on boston park Road to the west is of local townscape value. the extensive area of victorian and edwardian terraced housing to the north has local historic significance.

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cHaractEr arEa c Office, car showrooms and warehouse uses with large building footprints, surface parking areas and open yards characterise the eastern section of the Golden mile. its character is also defined in part by transport infrastructure (road and rail) crossing the area that act as barriers to movement including the elevated m4. to the north the offices and car showrooms adjacent to the m4 are of medium to high rise (6 – 12 storeys), set back from the GwR and act in part as landmarks along the m4. to the south the area is dominated by lower-rise warehouses, parking areas and open yards.there are a small number of historic buildings within this area including the victorian Gothic Gunnersbury park gatehouse, the earlier carville hall, both recently restored, and a few victorian industrial buildings within the railway triangle. Little remains of the 1930s industrial/commercial buildings except the recently restored wallis house in the Great west Quarter development and the heavily re-clad henlys/martini/Fiat clock tower. wallis house, the Gunnersbury park gatehouse, Kew bridge steam museum and the potomac Lake boathouse are statutorily listed buildings.any tall structure proposed within this area can be expected to attract critical assessment in terms of its visual impact upon views from Gunnersbury park, syon park and Royal botanic Gardens, Kew, a Unesco world heritage site.

oblique aerial of character area c


access to local centres and high streets

brentford high streetcitroen car showroom27 Great west Road

34

Movement and accessthe Golden mile’s success as an employment location is in part based on its excellent links to the road network via the GwR and m4 providing access to central London, heathrow and the west. as a result the corridor experiences a large number of cars travelling to and through the area and this leads to high levels of congestion, poor air quality and high levels of traffic noise, all major concerns to local residents.One of the most significant constraints to growth within the area is the poor provision of public transport and severe traffic congestion.

pUBLIc traNspOrtwhilst the Golden mile corridor is served by a number of bus routes, a mainline railway service and further a field the Piccadilly and district tube lines, the majority of the area has a ptaL rating of very poor, poor or moderate. this is primarily as a result of the frequency of services and/or the accessibility to these services from the GwR.

BUsEsFrequent and regular bus services are provided throughout the day along the GwR linking to various locations such as hammersmith, ealing broadway and hounslow. intermittent bus lanes are provided along chiswick high Road. For eastbound services, a bus lane is provided between silver cresent and acton Lane.

A bus lane is also available between Homefield Road and prebend Gardens. For westbound services a bus lane is provided between cambridge Road north and burlington Road. bus lanes are also between essex place and Heathfields Terrace and again between Homefield Road and Prebend Gardens.perhaps the principal issue to address in terms of bus access is that only one public service runs along the Golden mile itself. all of the others either just cross the corridor (e.g. 65, e2, e8, 195) or run parallel to it some way to the south (e.g. 237, 267). two sky services run along most/all of the corridor, but are limited-stop and not available to the general public.

cycLE accEssan off-road cycleway runs parallel to Great west Road. this cycleway is signposted and provided on both sides of Great west Road, to the east to reach the chiswick Roundabout and the west towards heathrow airport. the existing cycle tracks are physically segregated from the traffic on the adjacent carriageway, and this is the layout that should be maintained and improved. a growing body of research shows that encouraging more people to cycle more often depends on them feeling safe while doing so. the Gwc will need to make sure cyclists feel, and are, adequately separated from the a4.

another feature of the existing facilities that should be maintained is the bi-directional arrangement on either side. because of the difficulties with crossing the A4, and the relatively low number of side junctions, making cycling attractive will mean that people on bikes are able to go in either direction (east or west) from whichever side street they join (rather than go in the wrong direction for a while, cross over, and come back on the other side).

tUBE aND traIN sErvIcEsthe Golden mile corridor is served by the hounslow Loop, with trains operated by south west trains every 15mins running from waterloo through hounslow, either towards weybridge via Feltham or loop back to waterloo via twickenham. train stations within the vicinity of the corridor serving this line include syon Lane, brentford, Kew bridge and Gunnersbury. the piccadilly line to the north and the district line to the west also serve the wider area but stations are of a significant distance from the GwR representing a 20-30 minute walk for employees, depending on their location. to support sustainable economic growth, improved public transport connections are essential including improving connections and frequencies of existing services and providing new links to the hs2 and crossrail.


access to local centres and high streets

ptaL mapping

social and community contextthe study area is situated in the osterley and spring Grove ward. in the 2010 index of multiple deprivation, the Lower Layer super output area (Lsoa) containing the site, hounslow 009b, had an index of 20,188, ranking it 62.15% nationally (where index 1 is the most deprived and index 32,482 is the least deprived).census statistics for 2011 show that the population of hounslow was 254,000, of which 175,500 people are of working age (16-74), which equated to 69% of the population.This was reaffirmed by the London Skills and Employment Observatory and Office for National Statistics, which produced a figure of 73.0% employment rate in the borough in 2012, higher than the London (68.9%) and national (70.9%) averages.the proportion of residents aged sixteen and over who are unemployed was 7.2% in 2012 in hounslow: lower than both the London (9.0%) and national average (7.8%).the borough-wide crime rate has fallen since 2010. there were 88.3 crimes per 1,000 people in the twelve months to april 2013, compared to the London wide figure of 93.9 crimes per 1,000 people.

36

Development activityin line with concerted efforts to promote the renaissance of the Great west Road, together with the promotion of brentford as a waterside town and a regeneration priority within the borough, development activity within the area continues to be strong with a number of proposed and consented developments including:

BUILt Or UNDEr cONstrUctIONBrentford Lock West (1) - phase 1 under constructionoutline planning application for the redevelopment of brentford Lock west and full application for phase 1. Refurbishment of warehouse buildings to provide waterside café, leisure, community and business uses Redevelopment of remaining site to provide 520 private and affordable residential units. predominant heights 3 - 6 storeysAlfa Laval site (2)Retention and refurbishment of the alfa Laval building for use as a 159 bed hotel and car showroom with service centre, in addition to the remainder of the site being redeveloped to provide an additional 151 bed hotel, offices, and 206 flats, maisonettes and houses.

Audi car showcase (3) - Completea 19,000 sqm 7 storey audi showcase designed by architects wilkinson eyre. the building opened in october 2013.Wallis House, Great West Quarter (4) – Largely built outthe retention and alteration of wallis house to provide employment use, the creation of a gallery, the provision of a health club and the introduction of residential use. the retention, alterations and extension of international house and its use as a restaurant and incubator business units. the demolition of all other buildings on the site and redevelopment for mixed employment, community, and private and affordable residential use. the proposed buildings range from four to ten storeys in height together with a 25 storey tower.Brentford High Street (5)The redevelopment of vacant office buildings into a mixed use development comprising 56 residential units and 129m2 (Gea) of commercial floor space.Goat Wharf (6)Redevelopment to provide a mixed-use development comprising of 86 flats with 150m2 of commercial space.

Former Thames Water site, Kew Bridge (7)development of 353 apartments to be accommodated within nine blocks, designed around a central square that will range in height from six to sixteen storeys. Kew Bridge Road and Thameside Centre (8) - Completemixed-use development, including 308 new dwellings, 3,693m2 of mixed use commercial space, and use of arches 4 and 5 of Kew bridge for river related uses and installation of a pontoon. KIA car showcase (9)a 8,000 sqm 4 storey (basement and 3 storey) car dealership with a showroom, mot centre, workshop and parking on the site. a resubmission following the approval in 2012 for a car dealership that would be specific to Kia’s requirements as an operator. the dealership will be open for business in 2014. Big Yellow Self Store (10) - CompleteStorage warehouse with a total floor area of 10,536m2.


development activity

brentford Lock westKew bridgethe Great west Quarter

1

2

3

4

56

7

9

8

10

38

pLaNNING appLIcatIONsBSkyB Digital campus (10)the proposal for bskyb osterly consists of two separate applications. a full application for the development of a mixed use building comprising 40,250 offices (Class B1a), studio, production and research and development facilities (class b1b), a new energy centre, hard and soft landscaping, servicing facilities and bicycle parking with all necessary ancillary and enabling works, plant and equipment. an outline application for the demolition of existing buildings and structures and the development of a media broadcasting and production campus of up to 104,670 sqm comprising office (Class B1), studio production and research and development facilities (class b1b) and warehouse/storage (class b8), hard and soft landscaping, reconfigured and new vehicle and pedestrian accesses and works to the public highway and the provision of parking and all necessary ancillary and enabling works, plant and equipment. Gillette Building (11)comprehensive redevelopment of the bonnington’s Group owned site, with conversion and extension of the Gillette building for use as a hotel with ancillary conferencing facilities, and the construction of offices of four to six storeys. An application to extend planning permission was granted in december 2010. this application has now expired.

Brentford Waterside (12)in march 2012 isis waterside Regeneration was granted planning permission for the regeneration of brentford waterside with plans to build up to 520 residential homes, 35% of which are 3-4 bedroom family homes and 20% affordable housing. 7,000 sq metres of commercial space will create 300 new jobs and £2million has been earmarked for investment into health and education facilities. improvements to the waterways include new visitor mooring and hook up points, and a new floating pontoon. A new water sports centre operated by brentford Football club community sports trust will host waterside events. Brentford FC (13)outline planning application for the redevelopment of the existing brentford football stadium for residential use.The Hive (15)planning permission was granted in august 2011 for The Hive - a raised office block supported by three 29.5 metre tall legs- in the Kew bridge distribution centre with the aim to deliver a state of the art building to create its own demand through its prominent location and striking design. Brentford Diamond (16)

Full planning permission sought for the erection of a football stadium with ancillary accommodation, associated infrastructure including a new vehicular and pedestrian bridge, public realm improvements, 60 car parking spaces and 400 cycle parking spaces. Wheatstone House (17)collado collins architects have submitted a planning application for 95 new residential units and 4,000 sq ft of retail space at ground level on the site of the 42,000 sq ft former bt telephone exchange. octopus (18)Landmark office building, with retail showroom at ground floor, with 8 office floors above, providing 6,606m2 total floorspace and incorporating four media advertising screens with Led shroud.


development activity

bskyb outline application for digital media campusbrentford watersidebrentford diamond - Relocation of brentford Fc

12

11

13

14

1516 17

18

40

OppOrtUNIty sItEs IDENtIFIED WItHIN DraFt LOcaL pLaN/aapReynard Mills (19)address: windmill Road, brentford, tw8 9Lysite area: 2.35 haproposed Use: Residential and educationJustification: This site has been identified through the draft London shLaa 2013 as it has a potential housing capacity during the plan period. This site has also been identified through the council’s school place planning site Review as an appropriate location for new school places in the brentford school place planning area. It is an available brownfield site in an area of need for both primary and secondary places.

Brentford Bus Depot (20)address: tw8 8LZsite area: 1.34 haproposed Use: provision of school places. Justification: This site has been identified through the council’s school place planning site Review as an appropriate location for the expansion of existing primary provision in the brentford school place planning area. it is an available brownfield site in an area of need for both primary and secondary places. the education use is contingent on relocation of the bus depot

69 to 77 Boston Manor Road (21)address: boston manor Road, brentford, tw8 9jQsite area: 0.40 haproposed Use: Residential with potential for further educationJustification: This site has been identified through the draft London shLaa 2013 as it has potential housing capacity during the plan period. Brentford police Station (22)address: half acre brentford, middlesex, tw8 8dhsite area: 0.27 ha

Opportunity sites identified in planning policy

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26


proposed Use: education (potential of expanding adjacent primary school), residential and commercialJustification: This site has been identified through the council’s school place planning site Review as an appropriate location for the expansion of existing primary provision in the brentford school place planning area. it is an available brownfield site in an area of need for both primary and secondary places and close to an existing primary school with the capacity to expand. Morrisons Supermarket and Car park (23)address: high st, brentford, tw8 0jGsite area: 0.6 haproposed Use: Retail-led mixed town centre use, with provision for town centre car parkingJustification: This site contributes to the regeneration of brentford town centre. the supermarket continues to play an important role with regards to the provision of retail floorspace within Brentford. Alexandra House (24)address: albany Rd, brentford tw8 0nesite area: 0.24 haproposed Use: expansion of an existing primary school

Justification: This site has been identified through the council’s school place planning site Review as an appropriate location for the expansion of existing primary provision in the brentford school place planning area. it is an available brownfield site in an area of need for both primary and secondary places and close to an existing primary school with the capacity to expand. Albany Riverside (25)address: high street, brentford, tw8 0bbsite area: 0.63 haproposed Use: mixed use with a range of residential and provision of appropriate commercial, including reprovision of arts centre. this reprovision can be off-site.Justification: Opportunity for mixed use, comprehensive redevelopment of this site in brentford. the arts centre on site is of strategic importance and must be re-provided either on or off site as a precondition of any development proposed. educational, health and water related issues - particularly those that support greater use of the river and canal for education and recreational uses- could also form part of a mixed use scheme in order to contribute to the overall goal of area regeneration.

South West of Gillette Corner (26)address: Great west Road, isleworth, tw7 5pdsite area: 0.39 haProposed Use: Residential and officeJustification: This site has been identified through the draft London shLaa 2013 as it has a potential housing capacity during the plan period. Suitable office location, particularly the frontage onto the Great west Road. this development activity represents a strong base for promotion of the corridor to attract future developer interest.

42

high quality parks within the area

multi-national companies present along the corridor

Strengths hounslow has a strong and competitive •

economy; Low deprivation levels and low •

unemployment levels;the corridor currently employs around •

25,000 people;there are a number of large •

multi-national companies present along the corridor;bskyb are currently planning a •

redevelopment of their campus to create a new digital and media campus increasing employees from 8,000 to 12,000;the corridor is in an ideal location, as •

the western gateway to London and with direct links to heathrow airportstrong development activity and interest •

within the area;presence of quality parks and landscape •

features such as River brent/Grand Union canal, Gunnersbury park, osterley park and boston manor park; anda number of buildings with heritage •

value along its length.

Weaknessespoor public transport accessibility; •

Severe traffic congestion within the area; •

Lack of amenities for workers and •

residents;Lack of vitality and ‘buzz’ out of business •

hours;the quality of the streets, spaces •

and public realm within the area has degraded over time and now needs improvement;the raised structure of the m4 creates a •

poor environment and awkward leftover spaces; the m4 and the GwR act as physical •

and perceived barriers for movement and community cohesion; andenvironmental issues such as air quality •

and noise levels.


m4 and GwR interface

an attractive employment environment

opportunitiesto become a 21st century employment •

led mixed-use corridor;to establish a sustainable mix and •

density of uses that makes efficient use of land and is viable and adaptable in the long term;To significantly improve the access and •

frequency of public transport; improve north-south links across the •

corridor to better integrate with adjacent local centres, brentford high street and residential areas;to establish a coherent built form with •

development following a set of agreed principles creating areas with distinct character and sense of place;to create a number of new / enhanced •

existing public spaces (hard and soft) to provide suitable open amenity spaces and focal spaces for the employment population, residents and visitors;to establish a legible network of routes •

linking to existing high streets, green spaces and amenities; andto be recognised as the international •

gateway to London.

Threatscompetition from other growth locations •

along the m4 (such as stockley park and Green park, Reading), within the caZ fringe (for example vauxhall nine elms and the isle of dogs) and from development areas in close proximity to crossrail stations;Failure to establish significant •

improvements to the public transport network within the area, stifling development potential and adding to the existing strain on the road infrastructure;Land ownership patterns may result in •

smaller sites coming forward in a piecemeal fashion resulting in a fragmented townscape;the failure to ensure the continuing •

transformation of the entire area may result in a longer-term co-existence of incompatible uses such as industrial/warehouse uses and residential uses, which reduce overall attractiveness, viability and values in the area;Uncoordinated development may lead •

to over development of plots that may harm viability and reduce the chances of neighbouring sites being developed;parking provision. •

Uncoordinated and not properly •

managed development activities may harm the functioning and viability of existing businesses in the area and drive out sources of employment; andLand ownership patterns may make it •

difficult to establish public open spaces.

44

artIst IMprEssION OF kEW GatE


Urban structurebuilding on from the spatial layout and vision for the corridor the concept masterplan provides a structuring framework for proposals to come forward along the corridor. at present the area lacks a coherent strategy for its future. the concept masterplan aims to establish this strategy outlining the “structuring elements”, key routes and spaces. it also provides parameters for the mix of uses, heights and landmarks. these structuring elements are shown in the diagram overleaf and include the following:

FoUR tRansFoRmationaL aReas •

each with their particular function and character employing their particular locational assets:

bLUe sKy – a new cluster for innovation, -research and development, and digital enterprise focused around the Gillette building, bskyb digital campus and a new green heart. the area will be served by new and improved public transport including a new train station;bRentFoRd LocK noRth – -strengthening the emerging residential-led mixed use neighbourhood focused around brentford Lock. brentford Lock north will provide a transition from the existing and emerging development to the GwR. improving connections, increasing accessibility for residents and workers

03 cONcEpt MastErpLaN

and as such improving the viability of leisure and commercial use clustered around the river;the m4 Gateway – Focused around -the point where the m4 meets the GwR will be reinforced through a cluster of landmark buildings to create a welcoming gateway with a distinct identity and image that is worthy of the location. Kew Gate - a new leisure/residential led -mixed-use urban quarter centred around Kew bridge station and local centre.

the GReat URban boULevaRd - •

maKinG the GReat west Road “GReat” aGain. the GwR is and will continue to function as the spine and key structuring element for the corridor. This route will be significantly improved and transformed into an attractive urban boulevard through improved cycleways, tree planting, lighting and a public art strategy.clearly expressed edGes to the urban area •

providing a distinct front and face to the route;

the character of Kew Gate?

Well defined frontages to the public realm

46

a network of legible new and improved •

pedestRian RoUtes that link to local centres, public transport stops, public spaces and other places of interest with each other, and with surrounding neighbourhoods, including;

boston boardwalk - providing better -connections to the piccadilly line at boston manor from the blue sky campus. Gillette way - the central north south -spine linking the GwR to bskyb. this route will form one of the principle entrance into the new blue sky campus and as such will be of a high quality to reflect its status.the River brent Link - an improved direct -link between the GwR and the River brent tow path will be created. improvements to Lionel Road south -linking to Kew Gate station and Gunnersbury park.

A hierarchy of clear defined PUBLIC •

sQUaRes and GReen spaces as focal points within the transformational areas. including:

Gillette Green - a linear green space at -the heart of the new blue sky campus. the space will function as a place to meet, lunch and escape the workplace. it will also function as the key east west link across the campus linking station Road to the Gillette building;Great west station square - a new -public space around the proposed station

the character of kew Gate central park?

the character of Gillette way?

adjacent to the GwR. the square will provide an arrival space for the Golden mile corridor and offer convenient interchange between the sky Line and local bus services;Kew Gate square - functioning as a -central green square around which development is structured, the space will provide amenity for resident and workers within Kew Gate;Lionel station square - a new public -space at the northern end of Lionel Road south that will provide an arrival space for Kew Gate and will offer convenient interchange between the Golden Link and local bus services.

the block structure within the areas of transformation/consolidation which have been identified do not necessarily represent areas for comprehensive redevelopment. a range of scenarios will be tested through further, more detailed, design work at the next stage. this will explore the re-use of existing buildings, the intensifying of development around existing buildings and comprehensive redevelopment scenarios.the spatial proposals and infrastructure projects presented here will require further detailed investigation to test their feasibility, deliverability and potential costs.


concept masterplan

Boston Boarwalk

Gillette Way

River Brent Link

Lionel Rd SouthGillette Green

Great West Sq

Kew Gate Sq

Lionel Station Sq

48

artist impression of blue sky

the character of Gillette way?

creative workspace within the Gillette building?


artist impression of Kew Gate

Quantum of Developmentthe concept masterplan has the ability to deliver a substantial quantum of development. based on broad plot ratios suitable for the density of development and mix of uses one might expect within the proposed transformational areas the masterplan could accommodate approximately 976,500m2 Gia of development comprising:

586,760 m2 of employment use; •

2,760 new homes; and •

27,900 m2 of other uses including leisure, •

retail and community.based on an assumed split of employment uses and applying employment densities this level of development could provide 28,700 jobs over and above those predicted (12,000) within the bskyb campus.

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Movement and accessrOaD NEtWOrkthe baseline analysis highlighted a number of issues in the current road network, including areas of significant congestion along the GwR. improvements to particular junctions will be explored through a more detailed design stage.the concept masterplan takes a rational and deliverable approach to new and improved vehicular connections within the area and where ever possible utilises existing roads and access points. the GwR will continue to function as the spine for vehicular movement along the corridor with access to development from this route. the blue sky campus will have two primary entrance routes, harlequin avenue from syon Lane and shield from the GwR. the masterplan proposes to link these routes to form a continuous high quality avenue through the campus. secondary and tertiary routes are proposed to subdivide the area into a permeable block structure.development within Kew Gate will continue to be accessed from existing routes including the GwR, Lionel street north and capital interchange way. secondary and tertiary routes are proposed to subdivide the area into a permeable block structure.

within the a4 Gateway the concept masterplan proposes a series of joined up, integrated and permeable tertiary streets one street back from the GwR. these lower order routes subdivide the area into a fine grain of street blocks, provide the opportunity for residential frontage and offer a more tranquil environment for pedestrians.

pEDEstrIaN aND cycLE NEtWOrkwalking has the potential to be the main mode of access for a greater number and variety of local trips within the Golden mile and to / from / across it from neighbouring residential areas. walking is also a key component of trips for which the main mode is train or bus, and poor conditions for walking can be the difference between people choosing public transport or taking the car. the current walking environment in the study area is dominated by the presence of motor traffic and the physical infrastructure provision for it, including the raised section of the m4. improvements to the walking network in the study area should be considered to achieve one or more of the following outcomes:

Generally, making movement on foot within •

the local area, for journeys of up to around one mile (15-20 minutes), much more attractive; minimising the unnecessary use of motor cars and the congestion that such trips can cause.Specifically, improving the walking •

experience to and from rail stations and bus stops, and improving waiting environments to help maximise the use of public transport. public realm improvements to aid pedestrian movement


Reducing the severance effect of the a4 •

corridor.improvements should focus on areas where there are and/or are likely to be the main concentrations of pedestrian activity, such as at the main north-south crossings of the a4 corridor. at most of these, bearing in mind the importance of the A4 in traffic terms, the ‘green man time’ available is not a particular problem – although there is clear scope for improvement at the Lionel Road north-south junction.at most north-south junctions with the a4, however, there are opportunities to improve the attractiveness of the physical environment, whether this be in relation to the subway at Gillette corner or the gloomy conditions imposed by the elevated motorway. a number of crossing improvements (including subway conversion to surface crossing) were implemented by tfL within the past decade, and a comparable further improvement programme should now be pursued exploring options of de-cluttering, improved lighting (particularly for those junctions under the m4 structure) and public realm works. in terms of walking access to public transport, there is clear justification for a more direct route from Lionel Road south to Kew bridge station (especially the westbound platform), as well as for more general improvements to the convenience and safety of pedestrian movement at the Kew Road/high street junction.

another focus should be on improving the directness, comfort and legibility of walking routes across the a4 at the south ealing Road and clayponds avenue junctions, in order to improve access for people from the north to the relatively new 235 bus service that originates in the Great west Quarter.

tHE GrEat WEst cycLEWayas described above the existing segregated, bi-directional cycleway along the a4 will be transformed into the Great west cycleway. improvement work should focus on the following:

improving the physical quality of the existing •

tracks. the surface is highly uneven in places; some sections are too narrow; transitions (e.g. at side entrances and bus stops) are often poorly articulated.increasing cycle priority at side entries/exits. •

the cycle track stops at all side entrances, even when the latter are very lightly used; while entry and exit splays for motor traffic encourage unnecessarily high vehicle speeds.Filling in the gaps. the bi-directional track •

is absent for certain sections, notably the north side between boston manor Road and south ealing Road; these need to be addressed and, in one location at least (by the South Ealing Road filling station), new space/land for cycling will need to be found.

cycling in superkilen park, copenhagen

cycling in seville

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pUBLIc traNspOrt NEtWOrkProposals to significantly enhance the public transport accessibility have been outlined above and feasability studies for each will be pursued. these include:

the skyline; •

the Golden Link; and •

boston boardwalk. •

Further to this despite the number of bus services in the corridors vicinity the plan of existing local public transport accessibility Levels reveals that the quality of public transport access along the Golden mile (including rail and tube services) is at best moderate’, and often ‘poor’ or ‘very poor’ typically. new rail-based services are proposed (see above), but the potential contribution of better bus services to improving the ability of people to get to, from and around the Golden mile by public transport must be pursued.perhaps the principal issue to address in terms of bus access is the lack of public service running along the Golden mile (limited to the h91) and its frequency. all of the others either just cross the corridor (e.g. 65, e2, e8, 195) or run parallel to it some way to the south (e.g. 237, 267). two sky services run along most/all of the corridor, but are limited-stop and not available to the general public.can we adopt current best practice including real time information, distinctive branding, state of the art bus shelters and higher quality vehicles and transform the Golden mile into a “quality bus corridor”, increasing frequencies, reducing travel times and making bus travel a compeling alternative to the car.

bus services offer the opportunity to increase public transport accessibility to an area relatively cheaply and quickly compared with new rail services. however, while new services can be ‘pump-primed’ (i.e. subsidised while, hopefully, passenger demand grows and establishes), the costs of this mean that permanent new services must be justified by ongoing demand within a given period (typically one to three years). therefore, the nature of any new routes or increased service frequencies, and the means of funding these, need to be agreed in detail with transport for London; and should be progressed in junction with known development proposals along the corridor and elsewhere in the area. this work should include ongoing discussions with the two private service providers to explore conversion of their services to public services, in due course. A reasonable first target is that there should be, on average, one publicly-accessible bus every five minutes in each direction along the full length of the Golden mile (i.e. 12 buses/hour/direction). this is could be achieved relatively easily with an increase in frequency of the h91.Restrictive parking measures could be enforced, including paid parking zones and planning restrictions to limit parking provision in new development, to incentivise the use of public transport, cycling and walking.

tying the Gwc in seamlessly with existing •

provision at either end. the cycle facilities at the chiswick Roundabout are confusing and not well connected to the tracks on the a4 (west) or a406 (north); there are no cycle facilities at the west end of the a315 chiswick high Road.improving cycle routes from the north and •

south. these are of variable quality; better facilities would enable more people to access and use the ‘trunk’ GWC tracks, to cycle comfortably to/from local railway stations (e.g. brentford and Kew bridge) and to allow for orbital cycle trips.Establishing a first class maintenance •

regime. the condition of the track is very poor in some locations as a result of ponding, collection of gravel/fines, leaf accumulation (in season), etc. there are very few (if any) access restrictions for maintenance vehicles of an appropriate size, and therefore no physical constraints on improving the frequency and quality of track sweeping.


movement & access

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Mix of usescurrently the corridor accommodates a variety of commercial, industrial and other employment use, as well as a cluster of historic residential buildings located centrally between ealing Road and boston manor Road. only recently has new residential development been introduced to the corridor as part mixed-use developments such as the Great west Quarter and the alfa Laval site. whilst it is imperative that the corridor retains its commercial identity and reinforces its role as a key employment corridor within hounslow, supporting uses and activities including local retail, leisure as well as residential are essential to create a viable and sustainable part of the borough. an enhanced mix of uses will generate activity and vitality throughout the day and early evening, reduce the need to travel and enhance the viability of uses, facilities and services within nearby local centres and high streets.Generally, a mix of uses is proposed across the area. however, the ratio between commercial and residential uses varies. Four transformational areas have been identified each with a distinct usage mix and density relating to the accessibility by public transport, context and other location attributes. as part of these mixed use sites there will be a requirement for sufficient social infrastructure including health facilities, education, leisure and community uses.in eastern areas and areas with higher public transport accessibility, a greater density of mixed-use accommodation is promoted, including a higher proportion of residential, leisure and traditional B1 office uses.

whilst western areas will accommodate a more moderate density of development focused around research and development, and digital enterprise. For the foreseeable future, due to the protected status identified within the London plan, parts of transport avenue are likely to remain characterised by light and heavy industrial uses. This has an influence on adjacent land uses which will broadly remain employment and commercial.as a general principle we have indicated an edge of development adjacent to the m4/GwR that will continue to support employment uses and act as buffer for any more sensitive development behind. Frontage described as ‘active’ on key north south routes should consist of frontages that animates the public realm including; building entrances, local amenities etc. any additional retail should be considered as convenience and complementary to uses within brentford high street. new retail or local facilities should not detract or compete with established high streets or local centres. the transformational areas will support a number of existing local and district centres including:

Kew bridge – stretching from the new •

development at Kew bridge (incorporating a local supermarket), Kew bridge station and a parade of shops along chiswick high street. the function of the centre could be

Local supermarket at Kew bridge

strengthened with new retail/leisure uses on the ground floor as part of the Kew Gate development.brentford station – a cluster of retail and •

local facilities that could be strengthened as part of a transformation of brentford station approach.Gillette corner – a retail parade •

adjacent to the Gillette building that could be strengthened as part of a wider redevelopment of Gillette corner and surrounding sites.Great west Quarter - an emerging cluster of •

local facilities including local shops, cafes, a crèche and other local facilities.


mix of uses

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scale, height and massingGENEraL HEIGHtsthe scale of buildings within the corridor will be informed in part by their use but should also relate to their local context, solar orientation, adjacent buildings and structures, streets and public spaces. building heights should also take into account the wider context and their impact on the surrounding residential areas and views from Gunnersbury park, syon park and Royal botanic Gardens, Kew, a Unesco world heritage site.the height parameters set out overleaf also respond to the future aspirations and character of the transformational areas:

bLUe sKy – a new cluster for innovation, •

research and development, and digital enterprise. the predominant building heights are indicated broadly at 3 - 6 storeys across the area. the nature of the development likely to come forward within this area does not necessarily lend its self to taller buildings. development heights around Gillette corner could step beyond this range to provide a local landmark but should also provide a transition in scale to existing residential development to the west and south and maintain the Gillette buildings clock tower as a dominant landmark within the locale. heights along the GwR should be of a sufficient scale to provide strong

frontage onto the boulevard.bRentFoRd LocK noRth – brentford •

Lock north will provide a transition from the existing and emerging residential quarter of brentford Lock to the GwR. development onto the GwR will establish strong commercial frontage with residential behind. predominant building heights will respond accordingly ranging from 3 – 6 storeys.the m4 Gateway – proposed building •

heights vary within this area due to the complexity of existing buildings and structures present. towards the west proposed heights seek to reinforce the cluster of landmark buildings to create a city gateway responding to both the GwR and the m4. elsewhere within this area building heights will have to respond carefully to the existing fabric. Kew Gate - a new leisure/residential led •

mixed-use urban quarter centred around Kew bridge station and local centre. predominant building heights of 6 - 8 storeys are permissible within this area responding to the areas public transport provision, existing taller buildings and emerging context.

LaNDMarks aND FOcaL BUILDINGsthe concept masterplan proposes a number of landmark locations and defines their height in response to accessibility, context, other location attributes and urban design considerations. the study proposes three different landmark buildings:

Focal buildings – a building of increased •

architectural quality to act as a focal point within the urban context but not necessarily tall.Local landmarks – 12 storeys •

district landmarks – 15 - 24 storeys •

the proposed location of these buildings include:

a cluster of district landmark buildings within •

the m4 gateway to reinforce the areas role as a city gateway.a number of local landmarks along the m4 •

gateway terminating views and vistas from the m4 east and west; anda local landmark and focal buildings on the •

Gillette corner to signal the entrance to the Golden mile. care should be taken to avoid detracting from the prominence of the Gillette tower with any local landmark being viewed as complementary.


scale, height and massing

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stakeholder event oneOvErvIEWthe stakeholder workshops was held from 11am to 2pm on 10th december 2013 at paragon house, University of west London, boston manor Road, brentford. the purpose of this workshop was to inform the development of the vision and illustrative masterplan for the Golden mile in hounslow currently being prepared by Urban initiatives studio.the workshop was facilitated by Urban initiatives studio and comprised of a presentation of initial ideas, prompting a lively debate followed by a more informal discussion allowing attendees to contribute their thoughts, concerns and opportunities for the area.the workshop was well attended and raised many important points to be considered through the course of this project including:

the need for better public transport •

provision and/or links to existing stations to unlock the potential of the Golden mile;A concern about traffic generation and the •

existing congestion on the network;the need for improved amenities within the •

area for employees;providing stronger links to existing facilities •

within brentford;

04 cONsULtatION

providing a mix of uses within the corridor to •

diversify the offer; andstrong leadership from the council is •

required.on the whole there was broad support and enthusiasm for the ideas and direction currently being pursued by Uis and the Lbb. a full list of attendees and notes from the workshop is provided in appendix 03.

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appENDIX 01 Property market reviewstratEGIc EcONOMIc cONtEXtbefore considering the performance of the Golden Mile specifically it is important to set the overall context for London and Lb hounslow in order to understand the scale and likely nature of growth in the future. From this base it is possible to then identify the opportunities for the Golden mile and how best it can be positioned to maximise its potential.the London economy has proved resilient during the recent recession and, despite some sectors experiencing recent contractions, continues to generate over a fifth of the UK’s output. per capita it remains the most productive location in the country with output per head valued 30% higher than the UK average.at a pan-London scale the recession has reduced the scale and pace of growth however it has had a ‘shallower impact’ than for the UK as a whole and the recovery has occurred more quickly, with growth double the next best performing region in the UK between 2007 and 2011. however, this performance masks variations at a sub-regional level with outer west London experiencing lower growth in productivity per capita than the UK average.

Looking forward London’s strong performance is anticipated to continue. employment projections indicate that the London economy will grow by an average of 35,000 jobs a year, increasing total employment by 14% by 2031. the London borough of hounslow is forecast to be a key element of London’s future growth, with an 11% increase in employment (some 13,500 jobs) forecast by the GLa between 2011 and 2031. however, it is not the scale of growth that provides the most interesting aspect of London’s future growth, but the anticipated sectoral structure.as shown below the relative performance of London’s key employment sectors is expected to change dramatically with the traditionally strong financial services sector expected to remain relatively flat whilst both the ‘Professional Services’ and ‘Information and communication’ sectors will experience strong growth.

these two sectors demonstrate the most significant growth trajectory and form the heart of the ‘knowledge-based’ economy, encompassing a range of sub-sectors that are seen as key innovators and drivers of UK competitiveness such as digital technology, life sciences, energy and green technology. importantly, whilst these now form a core component of the central London market they also offer the opportunity to diversify the employment base of London, with weaker ties to the City than the financial services sector.the nature of forecast growth is likely to place the Golden mile in a strong position to attract new business activity. the sectors that are forecast to grow the fastest and by the largest amount are those which the area already has an established market for. this market is underpinned by internationally recognised businesses such as bskyb, GsK and worleyparsons.The London Office Policy Review, 2012, estimates that almost three quarters of employment in Lb hounslow (within office based sectors) is within the ICT and professional services sector, providing a significant critical mass of activity from which to grow. this, alongside the borough’s position within the top 20% of local authority areas for business start-up and survival, provides a strong platform for increased business activity in the future.

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however, attracting growth in these sectors will face strong competition as investment in major caZ fringe locations, supported by new and improved infrastructure, is underpinning the development of major new economic hubs with the potential (alongside ‘traditional’ locations such as the city) to add a further 9.5 million square metres of office space to the capital’s stock. Furthermore, locations in west London and outside of the m25 that operate in the same market have major growth aspirations of their own, driven by transport investment including Crossrail and the electrification of the Great western main Line.As ‘new’ sectors have become established within London they have been integrated into the mainstream commercial property market and, as such, are key targets for commercial property developers, particularly those seeking to establish new commercial districts. For example, King’s cross central has been particularly successful in targeting a range of digital media and ict companies given its proximity to traditional areas of activity such as holborn and soho, and the research base provided by UcL.these new locations in particular are able to offer major new ‘office campus’ environments at the edge of the central activities Zone (caZ) directly challenging the offer of the Golden mile in terms of the scale and setting of floorspace. They also have significant advantages in attracting new businesses given their public transport accessibility and the diverse range of uses they accommodate, which provide a range of leisure, retail and residential opportunities to give business locations greater ‘animation’.

the nature of forecast growth is likely to drive a further shift in the floorspace requirements within the borough. Lb hounslow is expected to experience 63% of its employment growth within solely office based activities, requiring at least an estimated 95,000sqm of new floorspace (source: London Office Policy Review, 2012). This will require a ‘step change’ in the scale, quality and nature of employment space provided within the borough.

source: GLa economic

this shift is evident within the Golden mile itself already, with a clear transition from a manufacturing orientated occupier base to office activity. Even ‘traditional’ manufacturing businesses that remain within the Golden Mile have significantly changed the nature of their activity. whilst businesses such as jc decaux and GlaxosmithKline (GsK) are based within the corridor they now have a low level of ‘production’ activities, focusing instead on more corporate headquarters functions.

Figure 1: Forecast employment Growth by sector


cOMMErcIaL prOpErty MarkEt rEvIEWthe Great west Road (a4) corridor, known as the ‘Golden Mile’ due to the prominent businesses attracted to the route following its construction in 1925, is located close to heathrow and on a main transport route into London. the corridor has attracted international occupiers and is an established economic cluster in west London.the Golden mile was traditionally dominated by large manufacturing and distribution companies; however these have been gradually replaced by B1 office use, with a notable recent shift towards media and tech businesses driven by the presence of bskyb and the chiswick business park. whilst the area has continued to attract investment, and major employers such as GlaxosmithKline and pepsico, parts of the corridor do not function as well, and there is a need for a coherent vision to ensure its long term success.the reliance on the congested road network and the location of the Golden mile outside the North/South Circular very clearly defines the area as ‘suburban’ in market terms. the Golden mile therefore competes for occupiers with areas such as heathrow and the m4 corridor outside of London, rather than locations further east (such as hammersmith) or central London.

the key differentiators are the level of public transport accessibility within the Golden mile (which are poor) and the quality of the environment, which provide more central locations with a more ‘upmarket’ feel that attracts younger media and tech companies. the core market for the Golden mile in its current form is limited to larger, more established companies with an older workforce who are more likely to own cars.to understand the potential opportunities for growth along the Golden Mile, we first must consider current market performance, specifically in terms of recent deals and available space. this section reviews the baseline market position for the Great west Road in the context of the wider chiswick/brentford area.the market in brentford is generally strong, and the presence of ‘big name’ companies such as bskyb, bp and GlaxosmithKline help to provide a market presence that is greater than other similarly located places.the Great west Road can be divided into five key sub-markets, as set out below. The character of these areas varies from art deco commercial buildings such as wallis house, to new high rise developments such as GlaxosmithKline hQ.

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area name character occupiers vacancy

1 Kew Road Large office buildings (HQs)100,000 sq ftsome vacant buildings

vantage west – agfa healthcare, consolidated Life assurance company Ltd, Genworth Financial

emcworley parsons

27 Great west Road – recently refurbished. marketed at £27psfvantage west – c.60,000 sq ft available, £17psf

2 Residential Redevelopment

Residential-led regenerationLarge art-deco offices converted to residential

Alfa Laval –206 flats plus hotels, car showroom, offices, retailGreat west Quarter - 682 apartments (430 private), plus restaurants, bar, hotel and art gallery. 352 or 430 units complete

n/a

3 core Golden mile hQs built in 1990s e.g. Glaxo smith c.750,000 sqftbusiness parks built in 1980s e.g. Great west plaza and brentside executive park

GsKGreat west plaza – samsung and Reliance Globalbrentside executive park – spink property, transform

brentside executive park – 1 unit available, 26,842 sqft (of total 90,000 sqft)

4 multi occupancy/industrial

Multi owned and occupied office buildings of lower specindustrial/retail warehouse buildings

Great west trading estate – technology First, FLt bearing, brausch & co, aromatherapy associates, brompton bikes,

941 Great west Road – bmi syon clinic971 Great west Road – currys and carpet Right931 Great west Road - volkswagen

981 Great west Road – 60,000 sq ft (entire building) vacant

5 bskyb campus Large campus style hQ bskyb and tesco extra n/a

market sub areas


market sub areas

bskyb campus1990s large scale, secure office park (former sheds)application submitted for 1.67 million sqm redevelopment of campus

GlaxosmithKline hQprestigous landmark building built in 1999. circa 750,000 sq ft

981 Great west RoadDetatched 1930’s art-deco office building arranged over lower ground, ground and teo-upper floors.building is currently vacant

Great west trading estatesteel frame warehouse unitsoccupiers - Urban production and others

Great west plaza1980s business parkoccupiers: samsung and Reliance Global

Great west Quarter682 aparatments (430 private), restaurants, bar, hotel and art gallery

emc towerOffice building

vantage west13 storey office block with part retail on ground flooroccupiers: tie Rack, worley parsonsthreadneedle property investment Ltd purchased freehold in july 2013

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DEMaNDDemand for office floorspace in the wider brentford and chiswick area has remained strong, increasing by 153% in 2012, compared to a fall of 7% in the wider m25 west area. activity at chiswick park has dominated take-up in recent years, masking local trends in demand in areas such as the Golden mile. in the second half of 2013 take-up across the wider area has dropped off, as chiswick park is now fully let. over the last 5 years to Q2 2013, manufacturing, Utilities and distribution activities accounted for nearly 50% of the total take up.

since construction of chiswick park, which offers large, self-contained and modern buildings, demand for large HQ floorspace along the Great west Road has dropped off, and a number of buildings have been refurbished to be ‘sub-let’ to provide smaller suites or units. this trend of refurbishment rather than new build is in part driven by the existing generous parking ratios which would not be replicated under the current planning system. This is reflected in the deal data set out in table 1.

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 total

no. of deals 18 4 9 12 19 10 7 79

Floorspace (sqft) 413,836 96,801 97,896 52,859 367,460 101,453 182,786 1,313,091

av. deal size (sqm) 24,343 24,200 10,877 4,805 19,340 10,145 26,112 17,118

av. Rent (£/sqft) £21 £15 £20 £18 £12 £14 £15 £16

Av. Days on Market

649 669 76 604 456 609 138 457

Table 1: Office Deals, Golden Mile, 2007-2013

source:Focus

the recession appears to have had a considerable impact on the Golden mile, with activity falling significantly since the 2007 peak. the most notable change post-recession is a marked decrease in the overall floorspace taken up, with the total falling from 415,000sqft in 2007 to 53,000sqft in 2010, before recovering to 183,000sqft in 2013. whilst this trend has undoubtedly been influenced by a significant deal in 2007 involving 170,000sqft, even if this deal is excluded there is a clear pattern of decreasing deal size.the average deal size in the Golden mile is c.15,000sqft, and has ranged from just 4,800sqft in 2010, to 26,000sqft in 2013. by comparison the average deal size at chiswick park between 2007 and 2013 was 23,000sqft, peaking at 33,600sqft in 2012.


Grade 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 total

new or Refurbished 6 1 3 5 9 2 - 26

second hand - 2 1 3 8 4 6 24

not disclosed 11 1 5 4 2 4 1 28

Under Refurbishment

1 - - - - - - 1

Grand Total 18 4 9 12 19 10 7 79

Table 2: Number of Office Deals by Grade, Golden Mile, 2007-2013

source:Focus

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 total

new or Refurbished 64,294 72,315 52,514 15,290 261,053 2,834 - 468,300

second hand - 22,964 26,842 22,189 96,735 33,004 65,665 267,399

not disclosed 330,774 1,522 18,540 15,380 9,672 65,615 117,121 558,624

Under Refurbishment

18,768 - - - - - - 18,768

Grand Total 413,836 96,801 97,896 52,859 367,460 101,453 182,786 1,313,091

Table 3: Scale of Office Floorspace Take Up by Grade, Golden Mile, 2007-2013

source:Focus

table 2 and table 3 above show the breakdown by grade of the deals completed on the Golden mile between 2007 and 2013. whilst the overall number of second hand and new/refurbished units completed over the period is almost equal, since 2012 there have only been 2 deals involving new or refurbished stock, compared to 10 second hand units.whilst the number of deals by grade is similar, there is a significant difference in terms of total floorspace, with take-up of new/refurbished deals nearly double that of the second hand stock, largely due to a very high take-up of new floorspace in 2011.

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sUppLyin terms of availability, there are 37 units currently on the market, which on average have been on the market for 615 days. Units measuring between 5,001sqft and 20,000sqft have the fastest turnover, staying on the market for on average 230 days.of the 37 units currently on the market only 1 is graded as new or refurbished, with the remainder second hand stock. this provides a considerable challenge to the Golden mile in attracting new economic activity with the quality and nature of second hand stock reported to be unattractive to occupiers.Agents active in the area have identified particular weaknesses of stock close to the bskyb campus in the west cross house and new horizons court area. whilst there is some newer florospace here it abuts older office and industrial premises, which affect its attractiveness. older buildings, in particular those that are of an art deco design, whilst attractive architecturally are considered to be inflexible.

success in letting this space is therefore likely to be challenged by its inability to accommodate changes in floorspace requirements, both in terms of size of the units and the nature of the space it can offer.

rENtaL vaLUEsRental values within the Golden mile compare favourably with other parts of London with ‘top end’ rents reaching £27/sqft within the prime locations along the corridor.As shown above the peak rent is significantly lower the achieved rent at chiswick park (£40/sqft) which reflects the higher quality of space, environment and transport connections it offers. achieved rents vary considerably and are largely dependent on the quality of the building being let and its location within the corridor. yields are considerably higher within the Golden mile than chiswick park, even in prime areas, reflecting the weaker office market and lower rent to capital ratio.

source:Focus

Table 4: Office Floorspace Supply, Golden Mile

Floorspace (sqft) no. of Units

total Floorspace

av. Rent (£/sqm)

av. days on market

<1,800 sqft 12 9,933 £21 637

1,800- 5,000 sqft 8 31,528 £19 304

5,001 - 20,000 sqft 13 136,785 £18 230

20,000 + sqft 4 149,160 £19 1291

Total 37 327,406 £19 615

source: costar Focus, pRomis

Table 5: Rental Value of Office Space

area Achieved Office Rent (£/sqft)

Prime Office Yields

chiswick park £40 psf 5.5%

prime Golden mile £24-27 psf 7-8%

mid-market Golden mile £17-18 psf 8-9%

outside of chiswick park rents within the Golden mile (even at the highest achieved level of £27/sqft) are below the majority of ‘competing locations’ along the M4 corridor. the closest comparator in value terms is slough, where rents for Grade a stock are c. £20/sqft, whilst staines, windsor, maidenhead and Reading all exceed £30/sqft.Locations closer to central London achieve higher prime rents. hammersmith has an average rent of £37/sqft and vauxhall achieving £38/sqft. Locations closer to the caZ which are targeting similar occupiers are significantly higher, for example King’s Cross and paddington achieving £58/sqft and euston £63/sqft. current rent levels further east are lower, with canary wharf in the region of £35/sqft and Greenwich £30/sqft, albeit still higher than has been achieved within the Golden mile.


area Achieved Office Rent (£/sqft)

Prime Office Yields

chiswick park £40 psf 5.5%

prime Golden mile £24-27 psf 7-8%

mid-market Golden mile £17-18 psf 8-9%

FUtUrE OppOrtUNItIEsat present the Golden mile is not considered to form part of the central London market with demand linked more closely to the m4 market and the strategic access opportunities presented by the trunk road network. whilst the strategic access is in place it is unable to compete with other locations seeking to attract the same sectors in terms of access to central London (public transport).that being said the prevailing market view is that the Golden mile will continue to be an attractive location for businesses and will experience continued demand as the economy continues to recover. demand will not be realised along the whole corridor with market expectations focussing on areas of strongest stock and where existing public transport services are strongest.however, whilst growth will occur, it is anticipated this will be more incremental than transformational. the general market view is that the relatively ‘mono-culture’ nature of the Golden mile and the nature of the stock it contains do not adequately meet the modern requirements of business, particularly in ‘newer’ sectors (such as digital media) or other knowledge based or innovative sectors (such as life sciences).

these businesses, and their employees, seek much more from their locations in terms of the quality and flexibility of their buildings, the range and quality of amenities and services, and greater public transport accessibility. these demands are evident already from major occupiers within the corridor with GsK and bskyb providing major retail/food services within their campuses alongside running a shuttle bus service to rail and tube stations.achieving a major change in the economic performance and profile of the Golden Mile will rely on increasing market demand and activity and providing a ‘rounded’ offer that can compete for occupiers with other growth locations along the m4 (such as stockley park, Green park Reading etc) and within the caZ fringe (for example vauxhall nine elms and the isle of dogs).Lessons can be learned from these locations that will help make the Golden mile more competitive both in terms of new investment but also in retaining the businesses already present. each of the successful business locations in similar markets to the Golden mile either already combine (or are seeking to combine) a range of uses and activities to create a more animated and ‘interesting’ place.For example commercial development will need to incorporate or provide improved access to a wider range of uses/activities to provide shopping, restaurant and leisure amenities to employees during and after work hours. close to brentford the opportunity exists to better connect the Golden mile with the town centre, which would be mutually beneficial for both areas.

For the Golden mile to continue to compete it will need to put in place these new ‘fundamentals’ including:

Reliable, frequent and accessible public •

transport services;high quality environments; •

improved integration to surrounding areas •

(residential and town centre);a range of amenities and services for •

employees;A range and choice of floorspace types; and •

new housing options to attract workers to •

the area.if these fundamentals can be put in place and a package of sites can be brought together to provide a comprehensive redevelopment opportunity it is felt that there is the potential to deliver a second chiswick park style development.however, unlike chiswick park space would more likely be delivered as a bespoke ‘build to suit’ development. this will be driven by changes to the development finance market and a greater desire from major occupiers to seek properties that meet their own individual needs rather than adapting their business practices to suit an already delivered building.

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it is recognised that buildings would also need to be more flexible, allowing easy sub-division and providing a wider range of workspace types, from cellular and open plan offices through to break out and networking space. this would give the Golden mile greater resilience to economic shocks and allow it to adapt as new sectors (and changing work practices) emerge.it is expected that there will be further investment in residential schemes, driven by proximity to established desirable residential areas in chiswick, as well as substantial investment in brentford high street. any residential development is anticipated to come forward near to existing transport nodes, and potentially cluster with the two recent developments at alfa Laval and the Great west corner. the interface between residential and commercial floorspace will need to be carefully managed, however provision can be beneficial in attracting and supporting a greater range of amenities in the area.an appropriate quality of residential development could also help attract new workers to the area, providing opportunities for people to live and work locally. Given a number of businesses, such as bskyb, operate 24 hours a day this could provide an attractive option for workers. however, like new commercial space, the quality of space, amenities and transport services would need to be enhanced.


appENDIX 02scenario testingthrough the development of the vision and concept masterplan we have explored a number of broad spatial scenarios and appraised these against future challenges identified within the baseline stage.the options below are those options dismissed in favour of the preferred scenario.

OptION 1the status quo - this option assumes that no strategic intervention or rethinking is undertaken for the corridor and market forces determine the future success or otherwise of the Golden mile. pros

no substantial funding would be required for •

major public transport improvements;No significant council resources required to •

promote the area;no disruption to existing businesses and •

residents.Cons

Failure to establish significant improvements •

to the public transport network within the

area would stifle development potential as the road infrastructure becomes saturated;it is likely that the competition from other •

areas which would have far greater accessibility to public transport, a higher quality of environment and better local facilities would draw existing and future employers away from the corridor;development coming forward without an •

overarching vision is likely to be piecemeal and fragmented and unlikely to establish a coherent townscape.development pressure for the inclusion •

of residential use along the corridor could see applications coming forward that are inappropriate for their location.

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OptION 2building on the success of chiswick park the proposal is to create a new, similar model of development towards the eastern edge of the Golden mile adjacent to chiswick Roundabout. this development will provide a large increase in commercial floorspace which is flexible and tailored to the needs of occupiers within a high quality environment.pros

the option would focus redevelopment •

within an area where existing public transport services are strongest;An increase in commercial floor space •

would strengthening the corridors role as an important economic corridor within the borough;the increased activity could justify the •

delivery of the Golden Link - a passenger service between hounslow mainline station and brent cross (via old oak common).

Conscould shift the gravity of commercial •

activity further eastwards creating a strong eastern node to the detriment of western commercial parks such as new horizons court and the west cross centre.

OptION 3taking the cues from recent development such as the Great west Quarter and alfa Laval site the GwR will be transformed from a predominantly commercial corridor to a residential-led mixed-use corridor. commercial development will line the route and act as a buffer for residential development behind.pros

would provide a large number of residential •

units;market pressure for residential development •

in hounslow is strong;could substantially increase the critical •

mass of residents within the area to support adjacent local and town centres;the increased activity could justify the •

delivery of public transport proposals.Cons

would substantially reduce the commercial •

floorspace and weaken the corridors role as an important economic corridor within the borough;Could generate substantially more traffic •

congestion;there is currently poor public transport •

access for residents which would result in an increased dependency of car use;the quality of sites for residential in some •

cases is relatively poor due to the proximity of the railway line, the GwR and existing heavy industry.

we are witnessing market pressures •

for increased residential development within this area south of the GwR due to its proximity to chiswick and Kew. this is evident from recent applications including wheatstone house and the relocation of brentford Football club that has a considerable quantum of associated residential development.


appENDIX 03 consultation notesGOLDEN MILE stakEHOLDEr WOrksHOp ONE 10.12.13overviewThe first of two Stakeholder Workshops was held from 11am to 2pm on 10th december 2013 at paragon house, University of west London, boston manor Road, brentford. the purpose of this workshop was to inform the development of a vision and concept masterplan for the Golden mile in hounslow currently being prepared by Urban initiatives studio.the workshop was facilitated by Urban initiatives studio and comprised of a presentation of initial ideas, prompting a lively debate followed by a more informal discussion allowing attendees to contribute their thoughts, concerns and opportunities for the area.the workshop was well attended and raised many important points to be considered through the course of this project including:

the need for better public transport •

provision and/or links to existing stations to unlock the potential of the Golden mile;A concern about traffic generation and the •

existing congestion on the network;the need for improved amenities within the •

area for employees;

providing stronger links to existing facilities •

within brentford; providing a mix of uses within the corridor to •

diversify the offer; andstrong leadership from the council is •

required.on the whole there was broad support and enthusiasm for the ideas and direction currently being pursued by Uis and the Lbb.

Attendees Brian Burgess (BB) - Brentford Football ClubCatherine Warwick-Wilson - GSKDavid Morris - M&G InvestmentsDavid Syme (DS) - Urban InitiativesGreg Smith (GS) - Brompton BikesHamish phillips - Green Tomato CarsHeather Cheesbrough (HC) - LB HounslowIan MacDonald (IM) - Spa LtdIan Rae - LBHIsobel pierce - GVAJade phillips - The Leprosy Mission InternationalJennie Room - eMCJohanna Davies - LBHJohn Dales (JD) - Urban InitiativesJonathan Glaister - GLHearnJohn Vokins - VokinsKath Richardson - Brentford ChamberKelvin Campbell (KC) - Urban InitiativesLinda Kelsey-Foster - eMCMark Frost (MF) - LB HounslowMartyn Chase - Stanhope plc

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Martin Taylor - South West TrainsMartyn Saunders - GVANick Baker (NB) - Legal & General propertyNick Delaney - GVANick Ruxton-Boyle - London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulhampatricia Charleton - TfLpaul patenall - Development Securitiesphil Lemon - AllianzRussell Gay - Urban edge ArchitectureSam Appleby - LB HounslowStephen Hall (SH) - Highways AgencySteve McCoy - Urban InitiativesSue Garling (SG) - BSkyBSunny Desai - LBHSurinderpal Suri - LBHSuzie Betlem - Brentford ChamberTobias Goevert (TG) - GLA

Notes from meetingthere was much discussion focused on wider transport links as well as the potential impacts on the existing transport network.Questions were raised with regard to the impacts on existing occupants from potential development, particularly in terms of additional traffic and construction disruption?

it was generally felt that transport links would drive the potential for the area. a requirement for better services on south west trains was raised.sG explained the main concerns raised by sky employees included transport, parking and a lack of facilities within the area. there is limited weekend public transport. she explained there is potential for sky to consolidate to osterley but there is reluctance from other offices to move to the current site. a better offer and better public transport links would help make this happen. above all sky requires better access to the piccadilly line. mF explained the current situation on the ‘Golden Link and ‘Sky Line’. Feasibility studies have been carried out for this link and more development would only serve to make it more viable. the sky Line is available as a functioning railway line. it is thought it would require a £25 million investment to put a service in place. however the recent sky media campus development did not place enough demand to deliver this.mF discussed options to improve public transport along the Great west Road, bus priority lane, electric car/ occupied car lane etc.jd – to enable the desired development, investment is required from the public sector or operator based upon the potential the area has and supported by private investment.

sh – explained the m4 has challenges from traffic and pollution. Currently running over capacity. with investment in the elevated structure, maintenance requirements will result in some disruption. more development is a challenge in terms of increased traffic and particularly at junctions.possible ideas include a park and Ride for m25 and whether the m4 should be a motorway or could be down graded?The current proposal for the Hammersmith fly under was explained and questioned whether it could extend to this area. some support for this in the room. sh explained that tunnels are expensive and the timescale is in the decades. all agreed amenities along GwR is important, and attract employees etc.tG – there are currently outer London Fund project happening in brentford. the connectivity between local centers is important. GLa will be looking at workspace for future funding projects.it was felt that the a4/m4 currently separates brentford and consideration should be given to the north south connections.

improvements to cycle lanes, particularly at Kew bridge was raised.ds – introduced Kew Gate as a mixed use urban quarter, and asked what support there would be for this? and questioned the role of retail in the area?


mc – there are established uses already in the area, but this is about employment and residential. Retail will be supplementary. hc – agreed there needed to be a mixed use approach within this area and that large retail along the corridor should be discouraged as it undermines brentford and other Local centres.GS Brompton – Expressed that traffic impact would be an issue.ds – suggested the transport improvement such as the Golden Link could mitigate an increase in traffic.bb - brentford Fc – suggested it depends on how people are going to live. dependence on car use is changing with less people owning cars and using public transport more. bb welcomed the idea of a new railway station in this location.im – this is an opportunity to create something interesting here. Kc – cross rail is a real opportunity. sky Line is an opportunity which should be taken. be proactive with rail networks and make a connection to southall a priority.hc explained this is a long-term process that could bring big gains and investment. disruption should be kept to a minimum through long term planningmc – expressed it is a good project, but questioned where first? There is a need for some one to lead it (the council) …to acquire land and appoint appropriate developers.

nb - it is good to have a local authority who is proactive and is creating a vision for the area. but this cannot be based on one development, public sector or operators must invest in the infrastructure. hc – explained there are complex land ownership and transport issues. this is a visioning process followed by further work to refine ideas. LB Hounslow can provide advice and facilitate discussions and relationships. there is commitment to the project and we welcome growth. Lbh can work with stakeholders, take leadership and use cpo if appropriate. she expressed this is the good timing for public funding and is pleased with support from today. we don’t want to loose sky and other employers and will keep all interested parties up to date with the progress of the project.

Date post:	06-May-2020
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