The site of a historic west London football stadium is to be redeveloped into 149 houses and flats, none of which will be available to rent.
Hounslow Council’s planning committee approved plans on September 4 which will see the site of Brentford FC’s old stadium, Griffin Park, redeveloped for housing.
On the site of the former stadium, built 121 years ago and demolished in 2023, there will be three new blocks of flats – one four-storey and two six-storey blocks. There will also be 41 new houses built.
Of the 149 new homes, 21 per cent will be “affordable,” below the 50 per cent usually aimed for under the London Plan. There will be 45 one-bedroom homes, 58 with two bedrooms, 18 three-bedroom homes, 25 with four bedrooms and three five-bedroom homes.
Compared to plans approved between 2015 and 2018, the number of homes provided has almost doubled. Additionally, there was no affordable housing provided in previous plans.
However, despite being described as “affordable”, none will be used as rental properties. Instead, 30 will be sold at “discount market sale”. This falls below the target in Hounslow’s local plan which aims for 40 per cent of homes in new developments to be affordable.
This raised concerns among council officers, as all the affordable homes are small one-bedroom properties. In 2024, a council housing needs assessment highlighted the urgent need for three and four-bedroom social rent homes – none are provided.
However, a “late stage viability review” is required via the Section 106 agreement. This means if the scheme becomes more profitable than expected further down the line, more affordable housing contributions will be agreed.
The council received 24 objections and three notices of support for the development. Residents raised concerns that there is an excessive number of homes, particularly flats, as family homes are needed.
However, council officers argued that the number of homes meets a strategic housing need. They also considered the importance of utilising brownfield land to provide more homes.
The plans were approved unanimously by councillors on the Planning Committee. The developers, EcoWorld described this as a “major step forward”.
Robin Goodlet, Managing Director at EcoWorld London, said: “Griffin Park is a place full of memories for Brentford fans and local residents, and we’re proud to be turning it into a neighbourhood that honours its legacy while looking to the future.
“With planning now approved, we’re excited to get started and deliver new homes, green space, and better connections for the community.
“This is a major step forward for Brentford, and we’re committed to making it a place people are proud to call home.”
