Cinema Taken Out of Revised Watermans Plans
Amended scheme includes more flats and a smaller art centre
A visualisation of the revised Albany Riverside scheme from planning documents
August 29, 2025
An updated planning application (P/2025/2495) has been submitted for the redevelopment of the Watermans site and a new art centre at Half Acre.
The revised designs, which incorporate changes to meet new fire safety standards, see an increase in the number of flats in the development while the size of the art centre is reduced from 2,667sqm to 2,256 sqm.
The plans no longer include a dedicated cinema space but rather are for a new cultural facility which is designed as a flexible shell-and-core space intended to accommodate a range of uses such as gallery exhibitions, performance events, and community activities. While it may be capable of hosting film screenings as part of a multi-use programme, there is no specific provision for a permanent cinema installation.
The application states that, although the venue will be smaller, it will have a larger potential maximum capacity. Since the original design was put forward, the Everyman Cinema has opened in the Brentford Project.
The new proposals for the Albany Riverside and Brentford Police Station sites, incorporate secondary staircases in all residential blocks. The applicant states that this change has led to adjustments in building massing, internal layouts, and external elevations. At Albany Riverside, one additional storey has been added, while the Brentford Police Station is increased by two storeys.
Even at previous heights, there had been objections due to perceived harm to nearby heritage assets such as St Paul’s Church and the Kew Gardens World Heritage Site. Historic England has raised concern about the increased height. A Heritage, Townscape and Visual Impact Assessment commissioned by the applicant concludes that the public benefit of the two schemes outweighs ‘minor adverse impacts’.
A visualisation of the new design for Albany Riverside viewed from the High Street taken from the planning application
There would now be 219 flats up from 193 in the Albany Riverside development and ground floor retail/café space. The Half Acre site would now include a 13-storey tower with 111 flats up from 105. This represents a total increase in the number of flats across the two sites from 298 to 330 of which a minimum of 20% would be classed as affordable. Although the number of guaranteed affordable units is reduced the developer is committing to a bigger proportion of larger family units with more three bedroom flats. The units in the Half Acre tower will be ‘affordable ready’ and could be converted should funding be available to do so. A Financial Viability Assessment submitted with the application states that the revised schemes offer the ‘maximum reasonable level of affordable housing’, with potential to increase via GLA grant funding.
A CGI of an aerial view of Albany Riverside submitted with the planning application
The buildings now have advanced energy and sustainability strategies, including air source heat pumps and improved carbon reduction
The Albany Riverside site is proposed as a car-free development, with blue badge parking and enhanced cycle infrastructure. The basement car parking at the site is being removed. Public realm improvements include widened pedestrian routes, new planting schemes, and active frontages.
The redevelopment of the Albany Riverside and Brentford Police Station sites is now expected to begin in spring or summer 2026, assuming planning approvals and contractual agreements proceed as anticipated.
The Council has indicated that it is actively working to finalise arrangements with development partners and cultural stakeholders, following delays caused by the withdrawal of Peabody as housing provider and the closure of the Watermans Arts Centre in April 2024. While no definitive completion date has been published, typical construction timelines for projects of this scale suggest that full completion could occur between late 2027 and mid-2028.
The Council has also ruled out restoring the old Watermans building for interim use, citing high costs and limited viability, reinforcing its focus on delivering the new arts centre.
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