Planning Moves Forward for 24-storey Tower at Chiswick Roundabout

Developer takes first step towards submitting application

The James Chiswick viewed looking south down the North Circular. Picture: The James

July 24, 2026

The long-vacant plot beside Chiswick Roundabout — a site that has defeated architects, investors and planners for more than two decades — has taken another step towards redevelopment. The James, the co-living operator behind a new proposal for a 24-storey residential tower, has now submitted an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Scoping Note to Hounslow Council, signalling its intention to lodge a full planning application later this year.

The document, prepared by Trium Environmental Consulting, outlines the technical scope of the Environmental Statement that will accompany the application. It confirms that the developer is seeking permission for a co-living-led scheme comprising 496 co-living studios and 60 affordable homes, alongside retail space, play areas and a roof-level amenity terrace. The development would come forward in a single phase.

The triangular site on Larch Drive — hemmed in by the A4, the North Circular, Gunnersbury Avenue and the elevated M4 — has been empty for decades. It sits next to the B&Q store, itself earmarked for transformation into the London Motorsport Campus. The James says its scheme will complement that wider regeneration of the Golden Mile, providing housing for workers and entrepreneurs attracted to the area’s growing creative and technology cluster.

Since 2000, it has hosted a procession of bold proposals: the 26-storey Pinnacle, withdrawn after intervention from the Secretary of State; the Citadel, approved in 2009 but never built; the spherical Octopus, consented in 2012 but abandoned; and the 120-metre Chiswick Curve, rejected in 2019.

Most recently, Holly House — a 24-storey residential tower with 255 homes — won planning permission in November 2024. Its backers described it as the optimal solution for the awkward plot, but the scheme was dropped last year, with the developer citing “prevailing market conditions”. The James says its new proposal will not exceed the height of Holly House.

The James Chiswick would be one of the largest co-living buildings proposed in London. The model, sometimes described as a “mega HMO”, offers private studios with en-suite bathrooms and compact kitchenettes, supported by shared lounges, workspaces and social areas. The Financial Times recently described co-living as “poised to radically reshape the urban rental landscape”.

Indicative view of the proposed building from Chiswick Roundabout. Picture: The James

A demand study by Knight Frank, commissioned by the developer, argues that the scheme would ease pressure on the local housing market by attracting younger renters away from house shares and traditional HMOs, freeing up larger homes for families. The 60 affordable homes — predominantly family-sized — would be positioned on the side of the site furthest from the motorway flyover, reflecting concerns about air quality for young children.

The Scoping Note sets out the environmental topics that will be assessed, including transport, air quality, noise, daylight and sunlight impacts, wind microclimate, climate resilience, greenhouse gas emissions, and townscape and visual effects. It confirms that the development will require detailed modelling of pollution levels for future residents, wind conditions around the building, and the impact of the tower on views and heritage assets.

Several topics have been formally “scoped out”, including aviation, archaeology, ecology, internal daylight, waste, materials and land take — reflecting earlier assessments undertaken for Holly House and the site’s long-cleared condition.

The EIA will draw on previous environmental work for other applications but will be prepared as a standalone assessment for the new scheme.

The James has already begun public engagement. Earlier this summer, residents were invited to online sessions on 8 and 9 June, and an in-person event at the Clayton Hotel on 11 June.

No date has been given for when the full planning application will be submitted, but the Scoping Note indicates that the developer intends to move quickly.