UK: Brent Council has approved plans to demolish a Matalan store in Cricklewood Broadway and replace it with two new blocks providing 826 student bed spaces.
Developer Ziser London secured planning consent for the scheme by a narrow margin, with the council’s planning committee voting five to three in favour.
The approved development will comprise two blocks ranging from three to nine storeys. Block A will contain 406 en-suite rooms, 40 studios, 46 accessible studios, and eight companion rooms, while Block B will provide 256 en-suite rooms, 30 studios, and 40 accessible studios. Both buildings will also have ground-floor commercial space.
The site had previously been approved for 238 flats, but changes to building regulations including secondary staircase requirements led to a redesign as purpose-built student accommodation. The scheme has been designed to deliver the equivalent of around 300 homes towards Brent’s housing target.
Supporters said the project would regenerate a disused brownfield site and free up existing houses occupied by students for family use. Opponents, including local residents and some councillors, raised concerns about the scale and height of the blocks, arguing they were out of keeping with the surrounding area and represented a missed opportunity to deliver more general housing.
