Although it is hard to tell from just a few refused planning applications, there does appear to be a bit of a shift in the policy at Hounslow Council with regard to adding extra storeys on existing blocks of flats (see the item on the front page).
I understand that these can be a real pain for existing leaseholders but, as it the case of the Oxbridge Court proposal, the whole building was going to get a refresh and this may have increased values.
My impression is that Hounslow used to let more of these through, most notably Chiswick Village, and this was way of increasing housing stock, if only gradually. It would seem to me to be a wrong move to be more inclined to reject these sort of applications. |