Wembley Hospital Redevelopment: Approved, Refused, and Deferred in a Single Meeting, Leaving Locals Baffled

Plans to demolish a hospital building and a former ambulance station in Wembley to accommodate over 100 new homes have experienced a tumultuous review process, witnessing approval, rejection, and a subsequent deferral within a mere quarter of an hour. Developer Fairview Estates Limited has put forward proposals for redeveloping the Old Wembley Hospital site, intending to deliver 108 residential units across buildings that would vary in height from three to six storeys.

Committee Review and Initial Vote Outcomes

The Brent Council planning committee convened last week to assess the proposal but ultimately refrained from making a final determination. The developer argues that the site in question, described as currently “underutilised and oppressive,” holds significant potential for residential development. However, committee members raised numerous concerns, including the insufficient provision of affordable housing, potential parking shortages leading to increased congestion on adjacent roads, the historical significance of the site, and the anticipated loss of daylight for nearby residences.

After a lengthy discussion spanning over two hours, the committee reached a deadlock, with four members in favour of the proposal and four against. Consequently, committee Chair, Councillor Saqib Butt, exercised his casting vote to approve the development. However, following a brief recess, it was discovered that one of the councillors who had supported the project, Councillor Iftekhar Ahmed, had not participated in the entire discussion. According to council regulations, this absence invalidated his vote, resulting in a revised tally of three votes in favour and four against, leading to the rejection of the plans.

Potential Appeal and Future Considerations

Despite the abrupt dismissal of the application, a council officer warned that the reasons cited for refusal could prove challenging to defend in the event of an appeal, potentially exposing the council to significant costs. As a result, the committee opted to defer the planning application for further review, with officers tasked to prepare a comprehensive report addressing the concerns raised during the meeting.

The Old Wembley Hospital functioned in its current buildings from 1928 until 2000, when it ceased all frontline medical services following the establishment of the new Wembley Centre for Health and Care. Since then, the site has served a “back of house function” until it was declared “redundant and surplus to needs” in 2019. It briefly acted as a storage facility for personal protective equipment during the Covid-19 pandemic but has since been identified by the developer as an “inactive and underutilised” brownfield site, primed for redevelopment.

Details of the Proposed Development

The redevelopment plans include a mix of housing types, featuring 28 one-bedroom, 54 two-bedroom, and 26 three-bedroom properties. Out of the proposed homes, 99 would be flats while nine would be houses. However, only 11 of these units are designated as ‘affordable’, representing just over 10 per cent of the total, a figure deemed acceptable based on a viability assessment.

In addition to the limited provision of affordable housing, the council officer noted that many of the reasons provided by committee members for refusing the application would likely be indefensible, particularly in the context of an appeal. Concerns regarding potential congestion on surrounding roads were countered by the assertion that future residents would be subject to parking permit restrictions, which would mitigate the issue. Furthermore, any anticipated loss of light to nearby properties was characterised as “limited” and therefore insufficient to warrant a rejection. Additionally, the site does not hold designated heritage status, meaning it lacks the extra protections typically afforded to historically significant locations.