Hillingdon Planning Committee has refused a change of use application for Technology House, citing concerns over inadequate access, parking, and flood risk management.

The committee convened on Thursday, 4 June 2026, to consider a range of planning applications, as detailed in the public reports pack.

Among the decisions made, the application for a change of use at Technology House from mixed Class B8 (Storage and Distribution) and Class E (Commercial Business and Services) to include Class F.1 (Learning and Non-Residential Institutions) was refused. The current state of Technology House is described as a two-storey building housing 1202sq.m floorspace , previously occupied by an IT company.

Architectural rendering of a multi-story building with balconies and ground-floor retail or community spaces.
Architectural rendering of a multi-story building with balconies and ground-floor retail or community spaces.

The refusal was based on three primary reasons:

  • Inadequate Access, Parking, and Pedestrian Safety: The application failed to address inadequate pedestrian and vehicular access and parking provision, prejudicing highway and pedestrian safety. This is a key site constraint and accessibility issue that makes the location inappropriate for the proposed change of use.
  • Flood Risk Management: A failure to satisfactorily address flood risk was another significant concern.
  • Air Quality Mitigation: The absence of a secured planning obligation for air quality mitigation also contributed to the refusal. While specific measures were not detailed, the council's Air Quality Officer noted the proposal was air quality neutral but not air quality positive and that an air quality mitigation contribution of £8,259 was required.

While acknowledging the potential public benefits of community use, officers determined that the location was inappropriate due to site constraints and accessibility issues. The type of community use envisioned was for Class F.1 (Learning and Non-Residential Institutions) , specifically for public worship and religious instruction with a capacity of approximately 150 people. The proposal also included plans for community use floor space... in the void area of the first floor at the rear of the building and recreational facilities for wraparound care, including before and afterschool provision.

For a future application for Technology House to be approved, specific improvements would be required in these areas: access, parking, pedestrian safety, flood risk management, and a secured planning obligation for air quality mitigation.

The decisions made by the committee on this date can be found in the Decisions document: Decisions 04th-Jun-2026 Hillingdon Planning Committee.