Green Light for Family Club by Turnham Green Station

Olive's House to open in converted eighties office block on Flanders Road

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

July 29, 2026

A major redevelopment of Mulliner House in Bedford Park has been granted planning permission clearing the way for the 1980s office block on Flanders Road to be transformed into “Olive’s House”, a new family club proposed by the OurHouse group.

The scheme, submitted under application P/2025/3644, was signed off by planning officers this Tuesday (27 July). The decision means the project did not go before elected members for debate or a vote, despite attracting objections from residents concerned about heritage impact, noise, parking pressures and overdevelopment.

The redevelopment will overhaul the T-shaped building with a single-storey side extension, a new roof-level floor and terrace, a relocated entrance, a redesigned façade, and the enclosure of the basement 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 location that has made the proposal particularly sensitive.

Thirteen objections were lodged during consultation. Residents argued that the design failed to reflect Bedford Park’s established Arts and Crafts character and would harm views from Bedford Corner, Acton Green Common and the park opposite the station. Others raised concerns about loss of light, noise from the proposed roof terrace until 9pm, disturbance from extraction fans and plant equipment, and early-morning bin collections. Parking was another key issue, with objectors warning that the removal of on-site spaces would worsen weekend and evening pressures in an area where Controlled Parking Zone restrictions do not operate at all times.

Despite these concerns, officers concluded that the scheme was acceptable. Their report describes Mulliner House as a “negative contributor” to the conservation area and states that the proposed façade alterations — including glazed green tiles, textured render and off-white painted brickwork — would enhance the character and appearance of the neighbourhood. They found no unacceptable overshadowing, noting that daylight and sunlight tests showed no material loss of light to adjoining homes.

Officers also emphasised that the redevelopment represents a sustainable retrofit of a long-vacant office block, with conditions imposed to control plant noise, terrace hours, servicing, construction logistics, facilities management and parking stress. The development will be car-free, removing 45 parking spaces and replacing them with a single accessible bay alongside extensive cycle and buggy storage.

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

The new top storey will remain visible from Acton Green Common and Bedford Corner, but officers accepted the applicant’s argument that the revised massing and materials create a calmer, more coherent elevation than the existing building. The façade will be completely reworked, and a new entrance portico on Flanders Road will 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 lower-ground works. Rather than excavating deeper, the learner pool will be built upwards from the existing slab, with only localised digging for balance tanks and pump equipment.

The approval marks a significant step 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.

Mulliner House viewed from Bath Road

A Certificate of Lawfulness confirming that the proposed use falls within Class E was granted in February, meaning the planning application focused solely on the physical alterations rather than the change of use.

With permission now granted under delegated powers, Olive’s House is set to become one of the most significant redevelopments in the area in recent years.