Forum Topic

Changing shops into flats on Churchfield Road

I have seen that there are two planning applications pending decisions to change the use of shops/restaurants on Churchfield Road into flats.Surely this cannot be good for the health of the street let alone how it looks...which usually is not very good.There have been several changes of use of shops to flats in the past few years including one on the corner of Burlington Gardens, one next to Classix Barbers, the old Christian bookshop etc.I for one am not happy with this trend and would love to know what the planning policy is here...if indeed there is one

Mark Jarvis ● 4802d4 Comments

Further to my comment, I understand that is may be difficult to let retail space but in my opinion, this is not the solution.Shops can be used as office or workshops or in endless other ways that at least retain them in an appropriate form but once they are houses or flats...they are gone forever and the future of the street as a vibrant place with useful amenities will also be limited.

Mark Jarvis ● 4802d

We have a huge shortage of housing in the UK . To create more previously retail and commercial spaces are being turned into residential . Better to solve the housing issue than fill Churchfield Road with Kebab , Betting or more cheap lager shops . Agree better to fill with community shops but the high street is changing Love to see restaurants etc and maybe changing Acton will bring thisHowever better housing and not more cheap bedsits will bring a more sustained changeThe new Oaks development while not ideal in current form is essential to keep Acton alive and have a commercial presence .Agree a suitable plan but if it doesn't happen Acton will continue its retail decline

Peter Truesdale ● 4801d

I agree in general that this could be a dangerous decline, but I'd qustion just how much some of these "shops" actually add to the vibrancy of Acton living. Some have been empty not just for months but for years, others I have never seen anyone ever enter or leave (bit like Willy Wonka's factory)! Others still, offer little if any true value to local residents - how many cars have you hired from the car hire shop in the last 5 years?At least with property lived in, we have real life and not just a mon-fri 9-5 shop that often isn't even used in those times.Don't get me wrong, I'm al in favour of shops, but where they aren't used, why not allow some to be converted in order to help tackle the huge housing issues.Carl

Carl Tamboli ● 4801d

The Planning application is PP/2013/2819. The plan, submitted by a developer, is to build two "maisonettes" in the space formerly occupied by the restaurant Shichuan. This would be the third extension to 116 Churchfield road built by the same developer in recent years.

Alex White ● 4801d