Policy information sourced from the Hounslow Local Plan Part 1

TC1 - TOWN AND NEIGHBOURHOOD CENTRE NETWORK

Our approach

We will maintain a network of successful town and neighbourhood centres, each with their own role and function, to provide the shops, services and facilities needed to meet the needs of the borough’s population.

We will achieve this by

  • Recognising the borough’s network of town and neighbourhood centres as set out in Table TC1.1, consisting of four town centres in Hounslow (a Metropolitan Centre), Chiswick (a Major Centre), and Brentford and Feltham (District Centres), supported by seven large neighbourhood centres in Hounslow West, Bedfont, Isleworth, Cranford, Hanworth, Heston and Old Isleworth, and 36 small neighbourhood centres; and
  • Supporting development and initiatives that promote the borough’s town centres, to ensure they fully meet their position in the town centre network and to enable them to change and evolve, and take forward the council’s regeneration objectives.

We will expect development proposals to

  • Be located appropriately in the context of the town and neighbourhood centre network, consistent with Policy TC3; and
  • Be of a scale and type that is appropriate in the context of the town or neighbourhood centre, consistent with Policy TC4 and Policy TC5.

Supporting facts

The borough’s town and neighbourhood centre network

Town centres - Metropolitan Centre

Hounslow

Hounslow town centre is identified as a Metropolitan Centre in the London Plan. It is the borough’s largest town centre, serving the widest catchment, extending into other parts of west London. It includes two managed shopping centres, a range of national multiple retailers and anchor high street fashion stores. It also contains business (offices), leisure and cultural uses, such as a library and theatre.

Town centres - Major Centre

Chiswick

Chiswick town centre is identified as a Major Centre in the London Plan. It is the borough’s second largest town centre, primarily serving the east of the borough. It is a successful upmarket retail destination, with niche retailers and boutique style shops serving a relatively affluent catchment population.

Town centres - District Centres

Brentford

Brentford town centre is identified as a District Centre, although it struggles to fulfil this role, with a limited retail offer located on the high street, and one main convenience store located to the east. The centre is located within close proximity to the River Thames and has distinctive character and waterside environments and uses that regeneration should enhance.

Feltham

Feltham town centre is also identified as a District Centre and has seen significant investment following the redevelopment of its managed shopping centre, which includes a relatively good fashion offer. Feltham town centre contains a range of convenience retailers as well as services such as banks, a library and health centre.

Neighbourhood centres

These centres vary substantially in size and character but primarily provide local residents, workers and businesses with easily accessible shops and services to meet key day-to-day needs. They are particularly important for residents who do not have access to a car, and enhance the sustainability of residential environments.

Large neighbourhood centres

Large local centres contain a good range of retail units (at least five) that serve day-today shopping needs (e.g. newsagents, post offices, grocery stores, bakers, butchers, greengrocers and chemists). They also contain other uses that serve local residents such as banks, and doctors’ or dentists’ surgeries. The layouts of these centres tend to make up strong clusters, sometimes around a focal point e.g. the tube station in Hounslow West, the war memorial in Heston and Isleworth Public Hall in Old Isleworth.

  • Hounslow West
  • Bedfont
  • Hanworth
  • Heston
  • Cranford
  • Isleworth
  • Old Isleworth

Small neighbourhood centres

There are 36 small neighbourhood centres in the borough, which are listed in Appendix 5. These centres provide retail units that serve the key day-to-day needs of local residents. They are generally made up of a row, parade or small cluster of units and contain at least four or five units to maintain a role as a centre with (at least) a small variety of shops/services for day-to-day requirements.

Isolated local shops

These are dispersed around the borough and may help to meet the key day-to-day needs of local residents.

For more information please see the Hounslow Local Plan Part 1