Planners Urge Green Light for Revised Albany Riverside Design

Dismiss height and heritage concerns over new building on Watermans site

A visualisation of the new Thames Path promised in front of the former Watermans site from planning documents

January 23, 2026

Hounslow Council planning officers have recommended approval of the revised Albany Riverside development (ref: P/2025/2495), signalling support for a significantly altered scheme on the former Watermans Arts Centre site despite objections from residents and heritage groups.

The updated application, submitted last August, seeks to amend the original 2018 permission. The changes stem largely from new national fire-safety requirements introduced under the Building Safety Act, which have led to the inclusion of secondary staircases, adjustments to building massing, revised internal layouts and an additional storey on the eastern block of the riverside development.

The revised plans include changes to building footprints and elevations, a reconfigured housing mix, a reduction in basement size, updated landscaping and transport proposals, and alterations to the cultural facility that will replace Watermans. The number of flats on the Albany Riverside site would rise from 193 to 219, with ground-floor retail and café space retained. Across the wider project, which also includes the Brentford Police Station site at Half Acre, the total number of homes would increase from 298 to 330. A minimum of 20 per cent of these would be affordable, and although this represents a reduction in guaranteed affordable units, the developer says the revised mix includes a greater number of three-bed family homes. The Half Acre tower is described as “affordable-ready”, meaning it could be converted if future funding becomes available.

A visualisation of the revised Albany Riverside scheme from planning documents

The cultural facility proposed to replace Watermans has been redesigned as a flexible shell-and-core space of 2,256 square metres, smaller than the original 2,667 square metre proposal. It no longer includes a dedicated cinema, reflecting the opening of the Everyman Cinema in the Brentford Project. Instead, it is intended to host a range of uses including exhibitions, performances and community events, with film screenings possible but not guaranteed.

Seven objections were submitted by neighbouring residents. Concerns focused on the increased height of the buildings on the Watermans site and the potential impact on the character of the area and nearby heritage assets, including the Kew Gardens World Heritage Site. Residents also objected to the use of a Section 73 application to increase housing numbers, the perceived loss of community facilities, potential harm to the riverside landscape and Lots Ait, and the risk of overshadowing and loss of privacy for Lighterage Court. Some objectors argued that the original permission had expired and that a new full application should be required. Others raised concerns about the loss of trees and the overall scale of development.

Historic England has previously expressed concern about the increased height of both the Albany Riverside and Half Acre buildings. However, a Heritage, Townscape and Visual Impact Assessment commissioned by the applicant concludes that the public benefits of the scheme outweigh what it describes as minor adverse impacts.

A CGI of an aerial view of Albany Riverside submitted with the planning application

Planning officers state that the amendments are justified by regulatory changes and that the revised scheme remains broadly consistent with the original consent. Their report argues that the additional height and massing are acceptable and that the updated design continues to deliver significant public benefits, including new housing, public realm improvements and a cultural facility.

The Albany Riverside site is now proposed as a car-free development, with only blue-badge parking provided and enhanced cycle infrastructure. Public realm improvements include widened pedestrian routes, new planting and a reopening of the Thames Path in front of the development.

The Greater London Authority has confirmed that the Mayor does not need to be consulted again, allowing Hounslow Council to proceed directly to determination.

The application will now be considered by Hounslow’s Planning Committee. If approved, construction on both the Albany Riverside and Brentford Police Station sites is expected to begin later this year, with completion possible between late 2027 and mid-2028 depending on contractual arrangements and the appointment of development partners.