Work on 'Copper House' Could Begin this Spring |
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Old Police Station project to commence in 'next month or two'
April 8, 2026 The long-awaited redevelopment of the former Chiswick Police Station on Chiswick High Road appears to be moving forward, with developer Birchgrove indicating that work could begin within the next month or two. This comes eight years after the front counter at the station was closed. The company has submitted a planning application (P/2026/0963) for the installation of non-illuminated hoardings around the site at the junction with Linden Gardens — a step that typically signals imminent construction activity. Designs submitted alongside the application refer to the development as 'Copper House', though this has not been finalised. Birchgrove is understood to be in discussions with Hounslow Council over what the building will ultimately be called. Birchgrove is developing the site as a retirement living scheme, with the flats aimed at older residents. According to the submitted designs, the 2.44-metre hoardings will primarily carry promotional material for the development, alongside space allocated for designs from community growing organisation Abundance London. There is also the possibility of Sunday market information boards being mounted on the hoardings, though this has not yet been confirmed. All advertising displayed will be non-illuminated. The news will come as a relief to those who have been following the project's troubled progress. The original target start date was May 2025, but a combination of protracted negotiations with Hounslow Council over Section 106 developer contributions and financing issues pushed that back considerably. A further reported start date of February this year also came and went without work commencing, with contractor Kori Construction understood to have been unable to mobilise at the Chiswick site due to an overrun on a separate Birchgrove scheme at Hampton Court. That Hampton Court development now appears to be approaching completion, with units reportedly being pre-sold — a development that may have cleared the way for Kori Construction to turn its attention to Chiswick. Some residents on the neighbouring Linden Gardens had voiced concern that the hoardings might be used as a revenue-generating advertising vehicle, suggesting the project could face yet further delays. Those fears do not, at this stage, appear to be borne out by the submitted designs. The planning application is currently registered as under assessment.
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