More information has been released about TfL’s plans to turn a long length of land next to a railway into blocks of flats. With a number of towers being planned, they expect to add some 875 homes to the area, with around half deemed to be “affordable”.

(c) TfL

The location, Bollo Lane runs alongside the District and Picadilly line tracks between Chiswick Park and Acton Town stations, and on the railway side, is mostly occupied by TfL car parks and a couple of office buildings.

The other side being light industry, it’s a fairly bleak road with a couple of architectural interests, one of which will sadly be demolished if the plans are approved.

The building that could go is Frank Pick House, currently occupied by TfL’s escalator repair teams, and it’s a rather striking blue metal building, in a very 1980s aesthetic.

Not that appealing to most people frankly, but it’s quite unique in design.

If the current plans are approved, Bollo Lane will be lined with a cluster of blocks, each separated by open space, and to the south end, a fake railway viaduct will create spaces for shops and an elevated garden.

The height of the new buildings will decrease towards the north of the site, with the tallest buildings at the southern end. This is in keeping with the local context, which has seen a number of tall towers built around South Acton and Chiswick Park. In the north near Acton Town station, the development will fit in with the lower-height residential blocks that are common in the area.

The end result will turn an admittedly unappealing road into something lined with lots of housing and some shops. The local feedback, as seems commonplace in consultations called for more independent shops, although there’s usually more practical demand for a supermarket than a boutique coffee shop.

To accommodate more of the smaller shops though, a row of fake railway arches will be built to provide the aesthetic people desire, and a roof-top garden above.

(c) TfL

If planning is granted, works could start in Spring 2021, with completion around 5 years later.

The consultation papers are here.

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8 comments
  1. Robert Markham says:

    I have to correct you on one point. The height of the proposed buildings are NOT in keeping with the existing local structures. The tallest tower block is 25-storeys. Currently, the tallest building in the area is a 13-storey tower.

  2. Kazonky says:

    As much as I like the idea of removing car parking (storage by any other standard) I feel that TfL should not sell off public land. Hackney Council have found a way to build public housing (and keep hold of it), TfL are letting us all down.

  3. Gerrard Moloney says:

    They have plans to do it all over London including Stanmore Rayners Lane,Canons Park. They use a company called Pocket Living to build and sell off the flats, they are built away from site ala Ikea. There are conditions if you buy however only a percentage go to low earners.

    • Lorraine Maguire says:

      Pocket Living have bought the car park at Sudbury Town tube station, for 60 one beds apartments and only 3 disabled car parking spaces. There has been huge opposition to this locally, as TFL also messed up the bus system serving this station. This station is the only one with step free access between Acton Town and Uxbridge, so is used by wheel chair and disabled passengers from much further afield. I was part of a group collecting signatures to oppose this development.

  4. Mrs Kay says:

    Jheeze 1 min u complaint there isnt any afford houses to buy or rent in the capital..yet apart from running your fly traps..none of u is thinking let’s form a organisation and pull our resources and try start a business in housing..Oh no god 4bid it’s too much of a work…but when someone decides to bite the bullet and the dust and try to do something…leave it to u lazy wingers to sit your ass behind ur phone and laptop to moan…SHUT UP SHUT THE HELL UP…SHUT UP OR STAND UP AND MAKE THE CHANGES U WANT TO SEE…THE CHANGES U WANT TO HAND…AM SICK AND TIRED OF IT..U MOAN ABOUT THE TRAINS…U MOAN ABOUT THE BUS…U MOAN ABOUT BREXIT…MAKE THE DARM CHANGES U WANA SEE HAPPEN OR SHUT THE HELL UP

  5. Antony OBrien says:

    Bring it on. You leave in London not Lavenham . I live off this road and btw it’s Bollo not Bolo. All the moaned about changes have improved there area and this is the best yet

  6. Charmaine says:

    I don’t particularly mind the idea of the development but I’m concerned about the height of the towers as there are nine that high in the area. My major concern is the infrastructure, so many more people to use the tube stations and the already busy roads. 13 stories is the highest they should be.

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