A2Dominion and Assael Architecture secure planning consent for 400 canalside homes

A2Dominion, a G15 residential property group that operates across London and southern England, and award-winning Assael Architecture have been given the green light for 400 new homes at Clayton Road in Hayes, immediately adjacent to the Grand Union Canal.

The design has undergone extensive consultation with Hillingdon Borough Council, and an appropriate scale of redevelopment for the site has been mutually agreed. The scheme has also been designed as part of a wider masterplan that includes the neighbouring Crown Trading Estate site.

The development includes a variety of new homes across a range of tenures, with a particular focus on affordable family homes comprising four-bedroom townhouses, and three-bedroom duplexes and apartments. The scheme also includes a mix of one and two-bedroom apartments for sale, each with its own private amenity in the form of projecting or inset balconies.

The site benefits from being close to the new Crossrail train station, offering quick access to central London. Other benefits include electric car parking spaces, biodiverse green roofs with renewable energy in the form of PV panels, ASHP hybrid heating strategy and over 1,300 m² of commercial space.

A key objective of the design and a significant benefit to the broader masterplan, the scheme at Clayton Road achieves public connectivity to the Grand Union Canal where it was previously inaccessible. In addition to the canal edge, the project sees a large amount of additional public amenity being introduced in the form of parks, lawns, seating and gardens, with the landscape and public realm designed in partnership with the Crown Trading Estate site to ensure a cohesive place.

The individual buildings have been orientated to maximise views to the canal with a high number of apartments and houses being dual aspect. Residents will also benefit from large communal podium gardens, in excess of 3,200 sq m, that include children’s play areas with views to the Grand Union Canal and the newly designed waterfront edge.

The architectural design comprises three character areas: the ‘industrial’ buildings reference the site’s history with features from the existing warehouses transferred to the new buildings, such as generous window openings and transom bars; the ‘residential’ buildings respond to the existing architecture on Clayton Road, with building heights lowered to a more appropriate scale and identifiable front doors accessed directly from the street; and the ‘canalside’ buildings respond directly to the waterside with full height windows to maximise views and a contemporary design that includes sash windows, recessed panels and a clear horizontal datum banding.

Danny Lynch, Director of Land and Development, A2Dominion said,

“Having worked with Assael on a number of excellent developments in recent years, we were always confident in their ability to create a design that best utilised the space around Clayton Road. Everything that we envisaged in these plans, from the new canal side access to the high-quality designs of the homes themselves, is there. This scheme will give a real lift to the area and provide excellent homes and facilities for a diverse mix of people, including local families and young professionals.”

Tim Chapman- Cavanagh, Director at Assael Architecture says,

“It is always a pleasure to work with A2Dominion, bringing forward this type of regeneration project that offers significant benefits to the local area and much-needed new homes. Working closely with Hillingdon Borough Council, we have collectively designed a scheme that aligns with their local aspirations and links well with the adjacent Crown Trading Estate development. As one of our key objectives for the design, we’re proud to be part of the process that will see the community and developing area reconnected to the important Grand Union Canal.”