Planners Recommend Approval for Bedford Park Family Club

Olive's House would be located behind the Tabard pub

Visualisation of planned centre viewed from Bath Road. Picture: Our House

June 5, 2026

Council planners have recommended approval for the transformation of Mulliner House in Bedford Park into “Olive’s House”, a new family club proposed by the OurHouse group, despite objections from neighbours concerned about heritage impact, noise, parking and overdevelopment.

The scheme, submitted under application P/2025/3644, would overhaul the 1980s office block on Flanders Road with a single-storey side extension, a new roof-level floor and terrace, a relocated entrance, a redesigned façade and the enclosure of the undercroft car park to create two swimming pools.

The building sits directly behind the Grade II*-listed Tabard pub and forms one of the first structures visible when entering the Bedford Park Conservation Area from Turnham Green Station — a position that has made the proposal particularly sensitive.

Thirteen objections were lodged with residents arguing that the design failed to reflect the established Arts and Crafts character of Bedford Park and would harm views from Bedford Corner, Acton Green Common and the park opposite the station.

Others raised concerns about the impact on neighbouring homes, citing potential loss of light, noise from the proposed roof terrace until 9pm, and disturbance from extraction fans, plant equipment and early-morning bin collections.

Several objectors said the removal of on-site parking spaces would worsen weekend and evening parking pressures, while others questioned the functional layout of the club and the unknown number of users it might attract. The relocation of the main entrance, they said, risked confusing visitors and increasing footfall on residential streets.

Mulliner House viewed from Bath Road

Despite these objections, planning officers have advised councillors to approve the scheme. Their report describes the existing building as a “negative contributor” to the conservation area and concludes that the proposed façade alterations — including new materials inspired by Bedford Park’s historic palette — would enhance the character and appearance of the neighbourhood. They note that the redevelopment represents a sustainable retrofit of a long-vacant office block and that conditions can be imposed to control plant noise, terrace hours, servicing, construction logistics, facilities management and parking stress.

Officers also dispute claims of unacceptable overshadowing, stating that there would be no material loss of light to habitable rooms in adjoining properties.

The recommendation marks a significant step forward for OurHouse, which earlier this year secured £100 million in investment from Blackstone-managed real estate funds to expand its network of upmarket family clubs. The company opened its first venue in Kensal Rise in 2022, followed by Parsons Green, and has plans for East Sheen and Clapham. The Bedford Park site would be one of its most ambitious projects, offering soft play, studios, co-working areas, a café, wellness facilities and two pools — including a learner pool built within the footprint of the current undercroft car park.

Their proposal reimagines the building with a new roof extension set back from the parapet, curved rendered walls, solar-shading awnings and a roof terrace. The façade would be completely reworked using glazed green tiles, textured render and off-white painted brickwork, while a new entrance portico on Flanders Road would feature a tiled mural referencing William De Morgan and William Morris, both of whom have historic links to Bedford Park.

Because the site lies within the London to Silchester Roman Road Archaeological Priority Area and Flood Zone 3, the architects have adopted what they describe as a “light-touch” approach to the lower-ground works. Rather than excavating deeper, the learner pool would be built upwards from the existing slab, with only localised digging for balance tanks and pump equipment. The development would be car-free, removing 45 parking spaces and replacing them with a single accessible bay alongside extensive cycle and buggy storage.

The applicant acknowledges that the new top storey will remain visible from Acton Green Common and Bedford Corner but argues that the revised massing and materials create a calmer, more coherent elevation than the existing building.

A visualisation of Olive's House viewed looking west along Flanders Road. Picture: OurHouse

The scheme has been shaped through discussions with Hounslow Council, the Bedford Park Society and the Victorian Society, with changes made to height, massing and façade treatment in response to conservation concerns. A Certificate of Lawfulness confirming that the proposed use falls within Class E was granted by the council in February.

Councillors will now decide whether to endorse the officers’ recommendation. If approved, Olive’s House would represent one of the most significant redevelopments in Bedford Park in recent years — a project that promises to revive a long-empty building but continues to divide opinion among those who live closest to it.