Hillingdon's Planning Committee has approved the construction of five new homes on land adjacent to 7 Wepham Close in Yeading, a decision made on Thursday, June 4, 2026.
The committee granted planning permission for five new-build residential dwellings, which will include private amenity space, parking, refuge storage, and cycle parking. The application had been called to committee due to a petition with 91 signatures, and faced objections concerning design, character, neighbour amenity, highways, flood risk, and ecology.
Council officers concluded that the proposal represented an acceptable form of backland development. This specific site, while originating as part of a private garden, is accessed directly from Rushmoor Close and reads as part of the cul-de-sac with a conventional street frontage, rather than typical garden land development located to the rear of an existing house. The proposed detached form, spacing, and scale reflect the pattern of development along Rushmoor Close, avoiding issues associated with traditional backland development such as cramped appearance, intrusive vehicle access, and loss of residential amenity.
Amended drawings addressed officer comments on landscaping, cycle storage, and parking. These revisions were part of a broader context where objections on design, character, and neighbour amenity were also raised for other applications, such as the Land at Rushmoor Close application. For that application, the Council's Conservation Officer deemed the design contextually appropriate and of high quality, preserving the character of the Eastcote Village Conservation Area. Amendments there also addressed arboricultural concerns, with additional landscaping introduced and bin/cycle storage relocated to the rear.
Officers noted that the proposal contributes to the borough's housing supply. This is particularly significant as Hillingdon could only demonstrate a 2.5-year housing land supply as of April 2026, falling short of the required five-year supply. This situation engages the 'tilted balance' under paragraph 11(d) of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). This means that development plan policies most important for determining the application are treated as out-of-date, and planning permission should be granted unless adverse impacts significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits, or policies protecting areas of particular importance provide a strong reason for refusal. This 'tilted balance' afforded positive weight to the proposal due to its contribution to the borough's housing supply.
A Section 106 legal agreement was required to secure off-site biodiversity units. The full details of the committee's decisions can be found in the Decisions 04th-Jun-2026 19.00 Hillingdon Planning Committee document.
