Property developer Downing has submitted an application to Ealing Council to demolish North Acton’s Holiday Inn Express in Victoria Road and replace it with two new tower buildings – one at 35 storeys which would be used for student accommodation and the other at 17 storeys for residential use.
Ealing Green Party has raised concerns over the height and “scale” of the development and is calling on Ealing Council to tell the Liverpool-based developer it is “too high”.
Downing has previously built other student accommodation in North Acton and near to the Central Line underground station. The Holbrook is next door to the current Holiday Inn Express while The Lyra is across the road in Portal Way.
In its application to the council on April 13 2023, the summery of Downing’s plans said: “Demolition of existing hotel and redevelopment of the site through construction of a 35-storey building plus lower ground floor and basement comprising student accommodation of 699 bed spaces; construction of a 17-storey building plus lower ground floor and basement comprising 91 residential units (use class C3); ground floor commercial / retail units fronting North Acton Station Square and Victoria Road comprising 310 sqm in total; and associated works of amenity space, public realm, landscaping and other works associated with the development.”
Neil Reynolds, chair of Ealing Green Party told EALING.NEWS of his concerns over the planned development: “There is a housing crisis, and so the Green Party support developing brownfield sites to increase the supply of housing. It is concerning that development on this scale is being contemplated however. Concerns about the safety measures such as staircases must be considered, and the council should make clear this is too high.”
