FELTHAM VISION AND CONCEPT MASTERPLAN

LONDON BOROUGH OF HOUNSLOW
FELTHAM VISION
AND CONCEPT
MASTERPLAN
FINAL REPORT, MAY 2015

4078
REPORT PRESENTED BY
IN ASSOCIATION WITH
STATUS
URBAN INITIATIVES STUDIO LTD
GVA, URBAN MOVEMENT
FINAL
ISSUE NO. 02
DATE ISSUED 05 OCTOBER 2015
FILE NAME
PROJECT DIRECTOR
4078_20151005_Feltham Final Report rev2 MW.indd
Matthias Wunderlich
REVIEWED BY
DESIGN DIRECTOR
Hugo Nowell
APPROVED BY
DESIGN DIRECTOR
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CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................. 5
01 CONTEXT ........................................................................................................ 7
1.1 Location................................................................................................. 7
1.2 History................................................................................................... 8
1.3 Strategic Context.................................................................................10
1.4 Socio-Economic and Market Considerations.....................................13
1.5 Planning Context.................................................................................18
1.6 Development Constraints................................................................... 20
02 FELTHAM ANALYSIS.....................................................................................23
2.1 Character Areas................................................................................. 24
2.2 Land Uses........................................................................................... 26
2.3 Scale and Heights............................................................................... 28
2.4 Frontages and Street Definition......................................................... 30
2.5 Road Network and Parking................................................................ 32
2.6 Public Transport................................................................................. 34
2.7 Cycling................................................................................................. 35
2.8 Pedestrian Environment..................................................................... 36
2.9 Open Spaces........................................................................................ 38
2.10 SWOT Analysis................................................................................... 40
03 A VISION FOR FELTHAM............................................................................43
A Place for the Community ....................................................................... 43
A Place with a Strong Identity................................................................... 44
A Great Place to Live and Work................................................................. 45
An Accessible Place................................................................................... 46
A Place with Fantastic Open Spaces..........................................................47
04 CONCEPT MASTERPLAN...........................................................................49
4.1 Introduction....................................................................................... 49
4.2 Spatial Concept Plan........................................................................ 49
4.3 Feltham Quarters............................................................................. 51
4.4 Land Uses.........................................................................................56
4.5 Building Height and Views................................................................ 61
4.6 Movement.......................................................................................... 62
4.7 Public Realm and Open Spaces.......................................................68
4.8 Early Win / Meanwhile uses............................................................. 76
05 THE ILLUSTRATIVE MASTERPLAN.......................................................... 78
5.1 Plan Development............................................................................. 78
5.2 Development Capacity...................................................................... 78
5.3 Potential Phasing.............................................................................. 78
5.4 Phase 1: 2015 - 2019......................................................................... 79
5.5 Phase 2: 2020 - 2025........................................................................80
5.6 Phase 3: 2026 +................................................................................ 81
06 ENGAGEMENT............................................................................................ 83
6.1 First Stakeholder Event....................................................................83
6.2 Second Stakeholder Event ..............................................................86
6.3 Public Exhibition............................................................................... 87

GLEBELANDS
PLAYING FIELDS
4

INTRODUCTION
This report sets out a Draft Vision and Concept
Masterplan for Feltham Town Centre. The
purpose is to provide a high-level vision and
spatial concept for the town centre that will
guide development and enhancement in the
future.
The Vision and Concept Masterplan has been
prepared by independent urban design and
planning consultant Urban Initiatives Studio on
behalf of the London Borough of Hounslow.
The Feltham Vision and Concept Master Plan
will not be a statutory document in its own
right, but it will form part of the evidence base
for the West of the Borough Plan (WOBP). The
WOBP will be produced during 2015-2016,
and will be a Development Plan Document
(DPD) with statutory weight. An initial issues
and options consultation on the West of the
Borough Plan is planned for Summer 2015.
The Vision and Concept Masterplan therefore
forms one of a suite of documents aimed at
guiding Feltham’s future development.
Its preparation has been informed through
discussions and engagement with
stakeholders and the wider public. An initial
stakeholder engagement event was held
on 9 December 2014, at which the analysis
that has informed the Vision and Concept
Masterplan was reviewed and discussed by
invited attendees including local residents,
businesses, utilities and infrastructure
providers and Council officers.
Following this workshop a series of focused
meetings were held with key community
groups, service providers, local employers and
land owners.
A second stakeholder engagement event was
held on 12 February 2015, focused on the
emerging Vision and Concept Masterplan.
Attendees, including local residents,
infrastructure providers and community
representatives were invited to comment on
the emerging proposals through round table
discussions.
This event was immediately followed by a
public exhibition of the proposals held at
Feltham Library from 13 February - 2 March
2015. Exhibition material was also provided
and online. Feedback forms were made
available for respondents to comment on the
emerging Vision and Concept Masterplan.
These comments have been acknowledged in
this document.
It is important to note that the Vision and
Concept Masterplan does not present a blue
print for a potential future ‘end state’ for
Feltham but rather sets out a vision to inspire
development and initiatives for an improved
town centre. As such it is a flexible framework
to focus discussions and to guide the spatial
form and type of development towards a
coherent and connected outcome.
A key aim of the concept masterplan is to
identify the areas where targeted development
and investment can lever wider benefits for
the town centre and its community.
The report includes an illustrative masterplan
that indicates one way in which the Vision and
Concept Masterplan may be brought forward.
This not only informs an understanding of
the potential development capacity of the
town centre but also helps to visualise how
development could respond to the existing
pattern of development within the centre
to bring about longer term change and
enhancement.
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01 CONTEXT
1. Fairholme School
2. Bentfont Lakes
3. Feltham Young Offenders Institute
4. Grosvenor Park
5. Blenheim Park
6. Feltham Arena / Glebelands Playing Fields
7. Longford River
8. The Centre, Feltham
9. Feltham Green
10. St Dunstans Church
11. MOD Land
12. Lower Feltham Brook
13. Feltham Park
14. Feltham Station
15. St Catherines Church
16. Leisure West
17. River Crane
18. Leitrim Park
19. Feltham Community College
20. Hanworth Air Park Leisure Centre
21. Hanworth Air Park
FIGURE 1, Vision and Concept
Masterplan Study Boundary
1.1 LOCATION
The Feltham Vision and Concept Masterplan
focuses on central Feltham, including the
town centre and its immediate surrounds.
Feltham is situated in the western part of
the London Borough of Hounslow, and is
located approximately two miles south-west
of Hounslow town centre and one and a half
miles south-east of Heathrow Airport.
Feltham town centre is a District Centre as
defined in the London Plan 2011, serving its
largely suburban hinterland of Feltham North,
Feltham Village, East Bedfont and Hanworth.
Feltham and its adjacent neighbourhoods have
a combined population of 65,450.
Feltham benefits from a railway station with
regular direct services to and from London
Waterloo and Reading operated by South West
Trains. Nearby Hatton Cross Tube Station is on
the Heathrow Branch of the Piccadilly Line.
The area is also accessed by a number of
strategic roads including important east-west
routes such as Staines Road (A315) linking
to the M25 and to Central London and Great
Chertsey Road (A316) providing connection to
the M3 as well as the north-south Harlington
Road (A312) providing connection to Heathrow.
Feltham Young Offenders Institute is located
approximately one mile to the west of Feltham
town centre.
Feltham benefits from large areas of open land
situated around the settlement, much of which
is designated as green belt.
7

1.2 HISTORY
Feltham was mentioned in the Domesday
Survey of 1086 with an early settlement
focused around St. Dunston Church in Lower
Feltham.
The arrival of the Waterloo to Reading Railway
line in 1848 saw a shift in focus northwards
with development around the station and
along Hounslow Road and Bedfont Lane. This
became Feltham’s High Street.
St. Catherine’s Church was erected opposite
the station towards the end of the 19th
Century and Victorian housing was built along
Hanworth Road and around Feltham Green.
In the first quarter of the 20th century a
large military base with depots, quarters and
ancillary accommodation was built to the
south-east of the High Street. The site had its
own railway access. The Ministry of Defence
still operates this site.
In 1915 Whitehead Aircraft built a large
factory for the production of fighter aircraft to
the east of High Street. To serve its business
the London Air Park (now Hanworth Air Park)
was established, and operated as a functional
aerodrome from 1928 until 1955. Zeppelin
airships used this site in the 1930s. Part of
building the airfield involved the culverting
and re-routing of the Longford River.
Whiteheads Factory went into administration
in 1919, but the site continued to be in
industrial use throughout the 20th century
and was home to businesses that built aircraft
and the Feltham Tram.
During the 20th century suburban housing
was incrementally developed on the fields and
Historic aerial of Feltham (1937)
St Catherine’s Church
Victorian houses overlooking Feltham Green
8

market gardens surrounding Feltham, East
Bedfont and Hanworth.
In the 1960s the majority of the historic high
street was demolished to make room for
road widening and the building of a modern
shopping centre in its place. Following the
Millennium this shopping centre went through
a major redevelopment and opened in 2006 as
‘The Centre’.
The second half of the 20th century saw the
consolidation of Feltham with the building of
housing estates and industrial parks on former
industrial sites and remaining open land.
Leisure West, an out of town leisure complex,
was developed on the site of the former
Whitehead Aircraft Factories in the 1980s.
In the early 20th century gravel extraction
took place on the sites of Blenheim Park and
Feltham Arena. The pits were later used as
landfill sites prior to them becoming open
spaces. Feltham Arena was built in the 1960s
for Feltham Football Club, together with
an athletics running track and other sports
facilities. The stadium was also used for open
air concerts in the 1980s. Feltham Football
Club vacated the stadium in 2004 and it fell
into disrepair. Its grandstand was demolished
in 2008 and plans to rebuild the stadium were
abandoned in 2012 following the import of
construction waste and raising of the land on
the site.
Part of the centre of Feltham is designated as
the Feltham Town Centre Conservation Area.
This includes a number of listed buildings
including St Catherine’s Church Spire, Cardinal
Road Infant and Nursery School, the Red Lion
Pub, Feltham House within the MOD estate,
a reconstructed Manor House on Manor Lane
and a Victorian Villa on Elmwood Avenue.
Feltham Station (south side) is locally listed.
FIGURE 2. Conservation Areas and listed buildings
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1.3 STRATEGIC CONTEXT
1.3.1 EMPLOYMENT DESTINATION
Feltham is situated at the eastern end of the
M4 Economic Corridor which extends from
Hammersmith via Heathrow to Newbury,
Reading and Swindon and is often described
as England’s “Silicon Valley” due to the high
concentration of technology companies
located there.
Feltham and its hinterland benefit from access
to a wide range of employment opportunities.
Neighbouring Heathrow is a major employer
providing over 58,000 jobs.
The west of the Borough, including the town
centres of Feltham, Bedfont and Hanworth
provides 33,500 jobs and is an employment
destination with more jobs than residents in
work.
The area includes industrial parks such as the
North Feltham Trading Estate and the area to
the south east of Feltham town centre which
provide a mix of airport related industries,
logistic and distribution warehouses, smaller
and medium sized enterprises and offices of
technology, IT and media businesses.
A concentration of nationally and internationally
renowned blue chip companies are
concentrated to the north of Bedfont Lakes,
including companies such as SAP, Cisco, IBM
and BP.
The Ministry of Defence operates the
Intelligence Collection Group & Defence
Geographic Centre from its Feltham site.
FIGURE 3. Strategic context
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1.3.2 HEATHROW THIRD RUNWAY PLANS
The importance of Heathrow to Hounslow’s
overall economy and its opportunities for
Feltham cannot be underestimated. The
recent decision by the Airports Commission to
shortlist Heathrow’s expansion as two of the
three options to address a shortage in aviation
capacity could cement Heathrow’s position as
London’s primary aviation hub.
The recent Heathrow Economic Impact Study
2013 indicated that of Hounslow’s 10,000
businesses some 10-15% operate within
the Heathrow supply chain and over 10% of
jobs in the borough directly depend on the
airport. A further 16% of jobs are attributed
under wider catalytic impacts. Building a third
runway at Heathrow is forecasted to result in a
net-increase of 15,000 jobs in Hounslow, many
of which could be accommodated in the west
of the borough around Feltham.
Heathrow’s expansion plans include new and
enhanced access infrastructures including a
new road tunnel linking the terminals 1,2 and
3 with the Southern Perimeter Road and a
new southern rail access from the Reading to
Waterloo line.
Major growth of Heathrow presents a major
opportunity for improving the accessibility and
attractiveness of the wider Feltham area for
new businesses and housing growth.
Strategic connections
Heathrow Airport’s expansion plans, including a third runway, would influence Feltham’s future
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1.4 FELTHAM MASTERPLAN – SOCIO-ECONOMIC AND MARKET CONSIDERATIONS
1.4.1 RETAIL AND LEISURE
The fortunes of Feltham town centre as a retail
and leisure hub are intrinsically linked to the
people and businesses that populate it and its
immediate hinterland. The centre is of a scale
that it is principally underpinned by those who
live within it or are only a short distance away,
as such as their fortunes, likes and aspirations
change so do those of the town centre.
Population Characteristics
To consider future opportunities for the town
centre it is important to understand the wider
socio-economic dynamics that will, in the
main, drive demand for additional or different
forms of development and activity. The town
centre has a relatively low population density
when compared to the Borough as a whole,
accommodating approximately 17,500 people
in the centre and its immediate hinterland.
This population tends to be older, with the
most significant cohorts being between 30
and 60 years old. Importantly for the future
health of the town Feltham has a lower share
of younger and working age residents than LB
Hounslow limiting the potential retail audiences
and spending power.
Allied to this aging population the key
economic characteristics of the local
catchment suggest there is likely to be
limitations on the scale and type of retail that
can be supported. Experian identify that
the majority of residents lie within ‘lower
order’ shopper profiles, with high proportions
occupying shopper types that focus on lower
to mid-tier retail brands. Comparative analysis
suggests that there is an under-representation
of shopper types that drive demand for high
quality and/or value retailers.
These shopper characteristics are largely
driven by the qualifications and occupation
profile of residents, which are considerably
weaker than LB Hounslow. Less than half the
residents achieve a Level 2 qualification and
employment is dominated by ‘elementary’
and ‘administrative’ activities when compared
to the borough average. However, there is a
reasonably significant proportion of residents
engaged in ‘professional’ occupations,
although this is below the borough wide
share. This grouping provide a good base for
broadening the dining and café offer within
Feltham.
Feltham Occupation Profile, Source: Census, 2011
Given this socio-economic context the retail
offer within Feltham reflects the dynamics
of its catchment, which is predominantly
orientated around middle to lower levels
of income and occupation activity. From a
market perspective the centre would appear
to be functioning relatively well, vacancy rates
have been persistently low and rents have
seen recent increases. This suggests there
is a good ‘fit’ between the scale and nature
of the offer and the predominant nature of
shoppers.
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Retail Offer
Feltham is a relatively successful centre, with
a high sales density. The borough-wide retail
study suggests that Feltham performs better
than Brentford but significantly weaker than
Hounslow or Chiswick in turnover terms.
The retail offer is mixed, but has a strong
proportion of activity at the lower price/
quality end of the market; however the
redevelopment of The Centre has attracted
some mid-range brands such as Next. The
core offer is underpinned by a number of
multiples (in smaller formats) and offers a mix
of convenience and comparison retail. The
scale of units is orientated towards ‘top up’
rather than destination shopping.
Future Retail Opportunities
In the future there would appear to be
opportunities to broaden the retail mix within
the town. At present there would appear
to be a gap in the offer in terms of informal,
mid-market dining and café activity, where
there is limited presence outside of Leisure
West and the Nando’s within The Centre.
Whilst we have not identified any clear
occupier requirements the scale of catchment
and other leisure drivers locally (such as the
cinema, bingo and ten pin bowling) would
suggest a complementary offer could be
developed. At present this is likely to be
constrained by the type of retail unit provided
which, based on average unit sizes, is below
the minimum size such operators would
require.
14
It is unlikely that there would be significant
opportunities to grow the scale of the
retail offer, however diversifying its range
and introducing modest amounts of new
comparison (non-food) goods retail may be
possible. However, this is most likely to be
led by an increase in the number of residents
within the catchment through the provision
of new residential units in the town centre,
providing additional footfall and spending
power. Similarly if the nature of the catchment
changes then other forms of retail/leisure may
be possible. The young, better qualified and
moderate earning sector of the catchment has
grown, the delivery of new housing types can
also help broaden the demand again offering
the potential to increase local spend.
What will be critical for the future health of the
town centre will be creating a more integrated
environment that creates a truly joined up
offer between Feltham Station, The Centre,
Leisure West, employment areas and the
residential communities to encourage usage
and, in particular, linked trips. Delivering
new retail or leisure floorspace without
overcoming connectivity issues will not deliver
the maximum impact for the town centre as
a whole of any future development and may
undermine the overall viability of the town
centre.
1.4.2 INDUSTRIAL ACTIVITY
The Feltham commercial offer has
traditionally been dominated by industrial and
manufacturing activity, largely contained within
the Bromwells Road-Forest Road industrial
area to the south of the High Street. Originally
this area was occupied by the Ministry of
Defence, who still retain a major presence in
the area, however the area accommodates a
mix of light industrial, storage and distribution
activities.
Industrial Offer
The current industrial portfolio is mixed, with
a significant proportion of the original stock
remaining and now making a low quality offer
to occupiers. However there has been recent
development of new, higher quality stock, in
particular the Vector Park scheme delivered
speculatively by SEGRO to the south east of
the area. Better quality stock is also located
at Plane Tree Crescent where there is a mix of
industrial and office stock.
Overall the industrial area would appear to
be a relatively weak offer when compared
to other locations within LB Hounslow, with
poorer quality stock and significant access
constraints. However, the area appears to
perform well, with relatively strong rents and
limited vacancies; recent development activity
reinforces the strength of the market in this
location.
Heathrow Airport and the Industrial Market
Given the juxtaposition between market
performance and quality of the area it is likely
that the area is being strongly influenced by
the effect Heathrow Airport has on industrial
land demand. Servicing activity for the airport
drives high levels of demand in LB Hounslow
generally, driving up land and rental values.

Aviation related industries are time sensitive,
therefore businesses tend to cluster in
locations with very good road access to the
airport, such as Hatton Cross, or with strong
connections to the wider road network, such
as Poyle and Colbrook industrial estates
(located between junctions 14 and 15 of the
M25).
Feltham, which is circa 15 minutes by road
to the airport, does attract some businesses
which will service the airport, however a high
number will locate here because it is more
‘affordable’ than locations that are better
connected to the airport . Rents in Feltham
are c.£10/sqft compared to £12.50/sqft closer
to Heathrow, thus whilst the location may
not be ‘ideal’ for operators the price benefits
outweigh these constraints.
Given the quantum of industrial stock in the
area, however, many other locations compete
on value, such as Boeing Lane, Southall (£6.50
psf), Airlinks Way, Hounslow (£7.50) and
Staines Business Park (£9.50psf). Whilst the
variations in value will reflect access, quality of
stock and local demand, this demonstrates the
level of competition for industrial occupiers in
the area.
Future Industrial Opportunities
Longer term there may be opportunities
to relocate some industrial activity to new,
more accessible locations creating new
opportunities for development. However, if
this is considered it will be important to retain
some differentiation within the market and not
focus all provision close to Heathrow. Finding
locations that provide choice and can also offer
different price points will be vital for retaining
activity within the borough.
1.4.3 OFFICE ACTIVITY
Feltham has not historically attracted
significant levels of office activity. Its location
is considered remote from Central London
and it does not benefit from good public
transport connections to other economic
hubs such as Heathrow Airport or the M4
corridor. Office market performance reflects
the lack of a significant market, with weak
rental performance and a low number of deals
recorded.
Future Office Opportunities
Despite the weak office market and traditional
focus on industrial activity recent business
growth has shown a shift towards a wider
economic base, with the largest proportional
growth in ICT and professional services
activity. This suggests there are likely to be
opportunities for office-based employment in
the future; however this growth has tended to
be driven by small and micro businesses.
Looking forwards, as London’s economy
continues to grow and activity in some sectors
becomes more decentralised there may be
opportunities for Feltham to deliver new, small
business orientated office and workshop
space within the town centre environment.
Employment in Feltham,
Source: BRES, 2013
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Feltham Dwelling Profile
Source: Census, 2011
1.4.4 RESIDENTIAL
Residential Stock
The residential stock within Feltham is
highly polarised, 40% of town centre stock
is within purpose built flatted development,
largely built within the last decade. Outside
of the immediate town centre the provision
is dominated by post-war semi-detached
suburban housing; some newer (albeit similar)
stock has been developed to the south west of
the industrial area.
Residential Market
The residential market within Feltham is
weaker than that of LB Hounslow generally,
with limited new development delivered
within recent years. Development that has
been delivered has tended to focus on smaller
flatted units with the redevelopment of The
Centre dominating the town centre market.
Heat Map – Residential Values
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Future Residential Opportunities
Broadening the residential offer to provide
a greater range and quality of housing is
important to encourage the future vitality of
the town centre to the benefit of both existing
and new communities. For example, stock
that encourages a new cohort of young
professionals and families into the area will in
turn increase local retail spend, promoting an
improved Feltham retail offer to the benefit
of both the established community and new
residents.
Apartments should form part of high quality,
mixed use urban scale developments aligning
their location with key leisure/dining amenities
and the Station. Houses should be well
designed to provide attractive homes that
meet the needs of families; this could take the
form of town houses to deliver a denser, more
urban feel to the town centre fringes.
Feltham is generally more affordable than the
rest of the borough; with the average house
price some £100,000 below the borough
average (and approximately £200,000 below
the London average). The rate of house
price growth in Feltham since 2012(18%)
is marginally below the borough average
(19%), and values in both have grown a rate
significantly below that of London overall
(25%).
Average Property Values (Source: Land Registry)
Feltham Town
Centre
Average % Change
Property Value
(2014)
(Avg. 2012-14)
£243,292 18%
LB Hounslow £338,514 19%
London £440,626 25%
The value growth profile of both Feltham
and the borough of Hounslow’s reflect their
geographical position in Outer London, which
has experienced a slower rate of growth than
Inner London due to the nature of the stock
and the level of demand.
To ensure that growth in Feltham does not
continue to lag behind the borough, it will be
vital that the town centre environment and
quality of development is raised to attract a
range of residents, as well as to better meet
the needs of the existing communities. This
should seek to improve the network of green
spaces within and accessible from the town
centre, make more of other assets such as the
river and also create attractive routes between
residential, retail and leisure locations.
1.4.5 SUMMARY
••
Limited opportunities to grow the scale of
the retail offer, however some opportunity
to diversify the range of retail on offer;
••
A more integrated environment is critical to
the health of the town centre;
••
Longer term potential to relocate some
industrial activity to new, more accessible
locations and create new opportunities for
development;
••
Recent business growth has shown a shift
towards a wider economic base with some
potential for office-based employment in
the future;
••
Broadening the residential offer to provide
a greater range and quality of housing is
important to the future vitality of the town
centre; and
••
Fetham’s relative affordability may
encourage greater levels of demand in the
area; therefore it is important that quality
residential development is delivered to meet
a growing demand and benefit both new
and existing communities.
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1.5 PLANNING CONTEXT
1.5.1 LOCAL PLAN
The Feltham Vision and Concept Masterplan
is set within the context of the wider
transformation of Hounslow, as set out in
the emerging Local Plan, submitted to the
Inspector in August 2014. The borough will:
••
Grow its population by 30,000 people to reach
280,000 by 2030;
••
Develop circa 12,300 new homes;
••
Create over 16,500 new jobs to meet the needs of its
growing population;
••
Significantly improve its connectivity to the rest of
London and beyond; and
••
Deliver a transformation of the physical environment.
Development will be directed to areas that
have capacity for change primarily within
Hounslow and Brentford Town Centre, The
Great West Corridor and within the Western
Opportunity Area in which Feltham sits.
The emerging Local Plan states:
“Feltham town centre, which continues
to perform strongly, will see modest
development, building on and adding
to its existing character, particularly on
peripheral sites where more scope exists for
redevelopment.
We will achieve this by:
1 Encouraging redevelopment of the allocated sites
including: New Forest Road, Feltham Arenas and
Feltham Ex-Servicemen’s Club.
2 Building on the current success of Feltham town
Figure 4.2 Feltham town centre proposed submission Local Plan designations
Figure 4.2 Feltham town centre proposed submission Local Plan designations
centre by exploring opportunities to intensify
uses on sites surrounding the town centre in
accordance with the principles of the Heathrow
Opportunity Area, through:
- Retaining the existing level of retail floorspace
within Feltham town centre and promoting the
introduction of new restaurant uses to increase
evening town centre activity in the evening.
- Preparing an Area Action Plan to promote the
redevelopment or refurbishment of buildings or
sites near to the town centre to include a mix
of residential and leisure uses, and improve
transport access into the town centre.
- Maximising and improving links to the town
centre’s environmental assets such as the
Longford River and Feltham Green.
3 Continuing the protection of industrial land,
including the North Feltham Trading Estate,
much of which contains Heathrow Airport-related
business operations.
4 Improving links to Hounslow Heath and opening
up access to and along the River Crane and Duke
of Northumberland’s River.
5 Enhancing the existing sports and recreation
provision on Feltham Arenas together with wider
environmental improvements.
6 Exploring options for improving access and
movement across the railway which currently
acts as a pinch point into the town centre.
7 Protecting the extensive open landscape of
the Green Belt whilst encouraging leisure
and agricultural uses which complement this
landscape.”
Figure 4.2 Feltham town centre proposed submission Local Plan designations
FIGURE 4a. Felthams spatial strategy from 2015 to 2030
FIGURE 4b. Local Plan
Feltham Proposed Town
Centre Boundary
18

FIGURE 5. Development Plan Proposals Map (January 2011);
Note: a new Proposals map will be adopted in 2015 (see Figure 4b)
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19

1.6 DEVELOPMENT CONSTRAINTS
1.6.1 FLOODING 1.6.2 LANDFILL
1 2
3
FIGURE 6. Flood risk
The Environment Agency Flood Maps show that fluvial flooding from
rivers is not a constraint within Feltham. The Longford River can be
regulated up-stream and does not present a flood risk. However, isolated
patches of Feltham are at risk from surface water flooding. There is also
a small risk of flooding from a breach in a reservoir that can affect Lower
Feltham and the edge of Hanworth.
FIGURE 7. Landfill sites
There are a number of historic landfill sites throughout the wider
Feltham area. The Environment Agency identifies the following sites
within the study area:
1 Blenheim Park - received inert waste between 1945 and 1955;
2 Feltham Arena - received inert, commercial and household waste
between 1938 and 1946, and inert waste from 2008 until 2011; and
3 Bedfont Lane / Sandy Lanes - received inert waste between 1912 -
1931, and has since been built over.
20

1.6.3 NOISE 1.6.4 AIR POLLUTION
FIGURE 8. Noise
The principle sources of noise pollution within western Hounslow is
aircraft arrivals and departures from Heathrow Airport and transport
noise along the major arterial routes. The plan above shows that
the majority of Feltham is currently unaffected by aircraft noise.
Those areas affected to the north are predominantly large areas of
distribution and industrial uses.
FIGURE 9. Air pollution
Air pollution is not a significant concern within Feltham.
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21

THE CENTRE
22

02 FELTHAM ANALYSIS
The Feltham Vision and Concept Masterplan
has been developed with a robust
understanding of Feltham as a place and the
challenges and opportunities that the area
presents.
A thorough urban analysis has been carried out
to examine and explore the various aspects
that can contribute to the success of a place.
This provides clues to the improvements
which may be required and includes
consideration of:
••
Character;
••
Mix of Uses;
••
Scale and height;
••
Frontages and street definition;
••
Road network and parking;
••
Public transport;
••
Cycling;
••
Pedestrian environments; and
••
Open spaces.
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23

2.1 CHARACTER AREAS
The Urban Context and Character Study
prepared by LB Hounslow (August 2014)
has informed this study. It provides an
understanding of the existing context and
character of the distinct places of the borough.
Feltham has a range of diverse character areas
reflecting its periods of growth. This diversity
often leads to a somewhat fragmented
structure, particularly around the town centre.
The area is in places disjointed with residential
development often cut off from the town
centre by large light industrial buildings or
car-dominated retail and leisure uses.
The predominant character areas include:
••
Early 21st Century high density mixed
use - Primary retail area redeveloped as a
mixed use development including residential
apartments up to 11 storeys, a hotel, new
shops, new library, medical centre, and new
superstore.
••
Remainders of the historic village - focused
around the high street these areas reflect
the historic fabric of Feltham including
development surrounding Feltham Green,
the station, St Catherine’s Church and
its surroundings and to the south, Lower
Feltham surrounding St Dunstans Church.
••
Victorian suburb - largely focused around
Hanworth Road. The area has a rich variety of
two storey late C19th and early C20th houses
including detached, semis, short terraces and
some distinctive large villas.
FIGURE 10. Character areas
24

••
Mid density suburban developments -
large swathes of primarily post-war two
storey development surrounding the town
centre. These areas are generally well laid
out streets and blocks that provide good
permeability and a level of overlooking to
the street.
••
Cul-de-sac development - 1970s/80s/90s
mix of two and three storey flats,
maisonettes, town houses, terraces, semis
and detached houses built in discrete
parcels and phases with slight variations
in some aspects of form. These areas are
generally characterised by poorly defined
cul-de-sacs, left over open spaces and
a lack of a clear hierarchy of streets and
spaces.
••
Business / light industrial ‘big boxes’ - areas
occupied by extensive trading estates /
business parks, with typical large footprint
low rise sheds.
••
Fragmented, car dominated fabric of town
centre - These areas include large, low
rise retail stores with associated car parks,
institutional and leisure uses and school/
college with associated open space.
“The Centre” Feltham
Victorian suburb
The Vision and Concept Masterplan
has the opportunity to address this
fragmented structure, creating well defined
neighbourhoods with distinct characters and
strong connections to and from the town
centre.
Lidl supermarket next to Feltham Station
Business / light-industrial ‘big boxes’
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25

2.2 LAND USES
In the wider context much of Feltham is
dominated by residential uses and large areas
devoted to employment uses in the form
of trading estates both centrally and on the
fringes surrounding Heathrow.
Within the town centre the land uses are
diverse and include:
••
Shopping centre (‘The Centre’);
••
Four supermarkets (Tesco, Asda, Lidl and
Aldi);
••
Local shops along the High Street, Bedfont
Lane and on Hounslow Road;
••
A railway station;
••
Leisure West (cinema, bingo and bowling);
••
Employment use to south east of centre
••
MOD land;
••
A concentration of primary schools to east
of the centre
••
Feltham Community college and sixth form,
New Reach Academy Feltham; and
••
Hanworth Airpark Leisure Centre.
‘The Centre’ is the primary retail anchor within
the town centre and includes a large ASDA
supermarket and mainstream comparison
retailers such as Next and Matalan. The
Centre is trading well and serves a reasonable
catchment. The Centre also includes key
community facilities such as Feltham Library
and a medical centre.
The form and layout of the centre is inward
looking and it does not interface well with the
High Street. It acts as a hybrid between an out
of town and urban centre.
FIGURE 11. Mix of uses
26

Better integration and connections between
‘The Centre’, the High Street, railway station
and Leisure West would be beneficial for the
town centre.
2.2.1 LOCAL SHOPS ALONG THE HIGH
STREET
For much of its length High Street is single
sided and provides a secondary retail and
service offer comprising of banks, a post
office, estate agents and betting shops. A
number of local shops and take aways can
be found in peripheral locations along High
Street and on other routes leading into the
town centre. There is currently a lack of cafes
and restaurants on the high street that could
encourage people to socialise and spend more
time within the town centre.
2.2.2 SUPERSTORES
There are a number of superstores within the
town centre which are characterised by large,
low rise buildings with associated surface
car parking. Whilst convenient and easy to
use these superstores contribute little to the
vibrancy and footfall within the town centre.
Their location within the heart of the centre
disrupts the continuity of the streets and the
urban feel and experience one would expect
within a town centre.
Is there an opportunity to
••
Strengthen links between town centre uses,
•
•
• Share parking facilities; or in the longer term
• Restructure sites to increase their intensity
and generate a more appropriate ‘urban’
environment?
‘The Centre’ Shopping Centre
2.2.3 EMPLOYMENT USES
There are a number of employment types
within the town centre including small office
buildings and workshops as well as larger
areas of light industrial, distribution and office
development to the south east of the town
centre.
The MOD is also a major employer within the
area.
Many of the smaller office buildings are vacant
or have space to let and may be at risk of
conversion to residential.
Is there an opportunity to:
••
Retain and strengthen Feltham as an
employment location;
••
Consolidate industrial, storage and
distribution businesses in dedicated areas
served by good road infrastructure;
••
Provide office uses close to public transport
links; and
••
Enhance connections between industrial
areas and town centre?
Hanworth Airpark Leisure West
2.2.4 LEISURE WEST
Leisure West was constructed to the east
of the centre in the 1980’s and includes a
complex of ‘big box’ drive in leisure uses
comprising Cineworld, tenpin bowling and
a bingo hall. A number of stand-alone fast
food restaurants serve as ancillary uses.
The cinema performs extremely well and is
the only cinema within a four mile radius.
Proposals for a new cinema in Hounslow town
centre may however have an impact on the
strength of this location in the future.
The format of the complex is entirely
car-focussed and pedestrian movement
through and to and from the town centre are
extremely poor.
Is there an opportunity to:
••
Improve links to and from the town centre
•
• Intensify development on the site by
providing a more urban format;
••
Include a mix of uses to activate the area at
all times of the day and night;
••
Open up access to the river and take
advantage of it as a key asset?
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27

2.3 SCALE & HEIGHTS
Feltham has a largely homogeneous two
storey scale with the occasional apartment
building of three or four storeys. Heights
increase dramatically within The Centre
ranging from five to seven storeys.
A number of taller buildings remain from
the 1970’s re-development of Feltham town
centre. These include the 12 storey St Giles
Hotel north of the railway line on Hounslow
Road, a recently refurbished 11 storey
residential building within ‘The Centre’, and
two 13 storey residential towers to the west
of ‘The Centre’. Another 12 storey residential
block overlooks Feltham Arena on Glebelands
Road.
An important landmark within Feltham is
St Catherine’s Church spire which acts as
a strong visual reference along main routes
including the High Street, Hanworth Road and
Bedfont Lane. It is important that any new
development proposals protect and enhance
these key views.
The Vision and Concept Masterplan has the
opportunity to moderate the abrupt scale
difference between two storey development
in the wider area and the much more intense
development form in the town centre by
including urban development of four to five
storeys at appropriate locations in accordance
with the emerging Local Plan and the LB
Hounslow Urban Context and Character Study.
FIGURE 12. Heights
28

Single storey supermarket
Key views to St Catherines Church
6-7 storeys of ‘The Centre’ Shopping Centre
Two storey buildings on the historic high street
Two storey residential suburbs
St Giles Hotel
FELTHAM - VISION AND CONCEPT MASTERPLAN FINAL REPORT
29

Active shop frontages at The Centre
Blank frontage of Lidl Supermarket does not
contribute to an overlooked and safe street
environment on New Road
2.4 FRONTAGES & STREET DEFINITION
The majority of the pre- and post-war suburban
housing areas have a clearly defined structure
of blocks and streets presenting reasonable
frontage and street definition. This can be
clearly seen within the Victorian area of
Hanworth Road for example.
This however is not the case for many
parts of the town centre which are often
characterised by poorly defined streets and
a lack of building frontage to overlook and
animate the street space.
This is particularly problematic around the
station which should act as a positive gateway
to the town centre and should be clearly
defined with active development.
There are also several stretches along the High
Street, the principal street through Feltham,
which feel fragmented and lack definition. The
street character is also undermined by large
areas of surface car parking.
The Vision and Concept Masterplan has
the opportunity to promote repair to the
urban structure, to promote street based
development that provides active frontage and
overlooking.
Pedestrian desire line crosses Leisure West car park
Inadequate narrow footways on Victoria Road
30

FIGURE 13. Frontages and street definition
31

2.5 ROAD NETWORK & PARKING
At a strategic level the road network within
Feltham is good with east-west routes such
as Staines Road (A315) linking to the M25 and
to Central London and Great Chertsey Road
(A316) providing connection to the M3 as well
as an important north-south route, Harlington
Road (A312) linking Feltham to Heathrow.
Local movement to and through the centre
however is constrained by a number of ‘pinch
points’ at key crossing points across the
railway line.
The planned closure of the level crossing
at Bedfont Lane is likely to exacerbate this
situation by diverting traffic around the station
and over the bridge on the High Street which is
currently described as a ‘bottleneck’ in terms
of its capacity. The Council’s Transportation
Team are exploring options to enhance the
capacity of the network in the vicinity of the
bridge, and particularly at the junction with
Hanworth Road to improve this link’s ability to
deal with increased demand.
FIGURE 14. Road network and parking
32

There are a number of car parks within the
town centre which are working independently
generally serving the immediate, adjacent use.
These include:
••
Surface parking associated with the
superstores;
••
The multi-storey car park within ‘The
Centre’;
••
The Leisure West complex and associated
large surface parking; and
••
A number of smaller parking areas
surrounding the station.
The majority of the car parks are not in the
Council’s control.
The Vision and Concept Masterplan
encourages the production of a wider town
centre parking strategy that should look at
opportunities to utilise these carparks more
efficiently. Following the development of this
strategy any surplus parking, if evidenced,
could be explored for redevelopment.
Convenient parking on the High Street
Pinch point in vehicular capacity along Hounslow Rd
Car parking access to ‘The Centre’
Surface car parking at Leisure West
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33

2.6 PUBLIC TRANSPORT
Public transport accessibility within the wider
Feltham town centre area is good with a Public
Transport Accessibility Level (PTAL) of 3-5.
South West Trains services from Feltham
serve Waterloo via Richmond and via
Hounslow, Windsor, Reading and Weybridge.
Feltham is also served by frequent bus
services which generally run north-south along
High Street.
At present there is no single point of
interchange with some buses serving the bus
station on the north side of the railway and
some serving the High Street on the south
side.
The Council’s Transportation team is currently
exploring whether the need for buses to
travel to the current interchange point can
be reduced through provision of lay-bys
immediately to the south of New Road,
which will reduce journey times for through
passengers.
FIGURE 15. Existing transport network and PTAL
34

2.7 CYCLING
At present the network of cycling routes to
and through the town centre is disjointed and
facilities including road markings and signage
is poor or non-existent. Bus priority facilities on
High Street can be used by cyclists.
The borough is progressing feasibility work
to improve cycle facilities along High Street
linking the station to Lower Feltham. A
wider network of off carriageway cycle
routes is in the form of the ‘west area
greenways network’ is also mid way through
implementation and includes a new publicly
accessible route alongside the Longford River
from High Street to Browells Lane.
Road signals and signs for cyclists
Cycling on quiet streets
Dual use cycle-pedestrian paths
Provision for cyclists on major roads
FIGURE 16. Existing cycling routes
35

2.8 PEDESTRIAN ENVIRONMENT
The overall pedestrian movement and
environment within the town centre is
poor. Many areas are segregated by
barriers including the railway line, river and
impermeable development such as MOD
land and large private industrial areas. Key
pedestrian routes to the centre are often
indirect and illegible, of poor quality with a lack
of enclosure and overlooking. In many cases
key pedestrian routes are aligned through
relatively hostile environments served by
heavy vehicles.
Other key issues include:
••
Junctions lack pedestrian facilities
- A number of busy junctions along the
High Street have no crossing facilities for
pedestrians;
FIGURE 17. Pedestrian environment
36

••
Level crossing is a safety hazard -
This will be addressed by its closure but
consideration should be given as to how
east-west pedestrian connections are
maintained along Bedfont Lane;
••
Inadequate footways at bridges over the
railway and river;
••
Vehicle dominated High Street with
narrow footways;
••
Access to Leisure West poor - The
pedestrian environment along Victoria Road
is poor with narrow footways and a lack of
overlooking. This is an important connection
between Leisure West and the town centre;
••
Lack of a continuous route along
Longford River
••
Access to Feltham Arena poor - The
current access of New Road is uninviting
and illegible. The existing path leading to
Feltham Arena is overgrown and secluded.
There is an opportunity to open up this
route, provide development which overlooks
this route and create a safe and attractive
entrance to the Feltham Arena; and
••
Cluttered public realm - The high street
is cluttered with guard railing, signage, and
uncoordinated street furniture.
Level crossing at Bedfont Lane
Pedestrian environment along the High Street
Lack of crossing facilities at key junctions
Narrow footways along key routes
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37

2.9 OPEN SPACES
Feltham Green
Main retail space at “The Centre” Shopping centre
Feltham Arena
Longford River
Feltham town centre has a number of large
open spaces within close proximity (10 min
walk).
A collection of green spaces, Feltham Arena,
Blenheim Park, Glebelands Playing Field,
Poor’s Piece and Feltham Park, jointly form
a large open space to the west of Feltham
Station. The space is largely hidden to the
back of properties and is difficult to find.
The Longford River divides the area and
connections between the different spaces is
poor. Overall the area feels fragmented, lacks a
quality landscape treatment, adequate facilities
and can feel unsafe and intimidating. An
athletics running track remains at the Feltham
Arena site, while the former Feltham Football
Club has been demolished.
Hanworth Air Park was established on
a former airfield and is a large open space
without any notable topography. An area of
mature tree-cover around Hanworth House
and along some of its edges provide some
contrast but otherwise the park’s open grass
land is bleak and lacks interest, and is mainly
used as playing fields.
Other large open spaces in the area include
Leitrim Park and Grosvenor Park, which
share share similar characteristics of open
grass land, lack of tree planting or structured
soft landscaping, and a location hidden away
to the back of properties.
Within the core of the town centre there is
a hard space situated within ‘The Centre’
shopping mall. This space is small and
38

primarily functions as part of the retail zone,
land is lacking in civic character. The space is
hidden from the High Street by a retail kiosk
currently occupied by Subway.
The town centre also includes two historic
green spaces: Feltham Green and Crendon
Court Gardens.
Feltham Green has functioned as an
important meeting point and civic space within
the town for over a hundred years. It remains
an important space within the town centre
but would benefit from greater animation and
adjacent activity.
Blenheim
Park
Feltham
Arena
Glebelands
Playing
Fields
Feltham
Park
Crendon
Court
Gardens
Improving the relationship and access between
the High Street and Feltham Green is essential
to re-stitch this space back into the town
centre.
Crendon Court Gardens is a small triangular
space adjacent to Feltham Station. The space
is overgrown and feels disconnected from the
High Street. Its secluded nature and lack of
overlooking results in a somewhat intimidating
environment with reports of anti-social
behaviour.
The Longford River runs through the town
centre connecting northwards to Feltham
Arena and beyond and southwards to
Hanworth Air Park and beyond. At present
the river is inaccessible for long stretches and
therefore fails to act as a strategic green route
through the town centre.
Grosvenor
Park
The Centre
Space
Feltham
Green
Longford
River
Leitrim
Park
Hanworth
Air Park
FIGURE 18. Existing open spaces
39

2.10 SWOT ANALYSIS
STRENGTHS
••
Established local centre that is trading well
••
Cineworld complex and Leisure West attracts
visitors from outside Feltham
••
Frequent rail links into London
••
Good local bus provision
••
Good access to strategic road network
••
Proximity to Heathrow – employment cluster
••
More employment than people in work
••
Affordable location
••
Abundance of open spaces in close proximity
••
Strong community base
WEAKNESSES
••
Lack of integration between Leisure West and the
town centre
••
Road dominated and poor quality environment
••
Open spaces lack differentiation and interest, and are
underused
••
Poor quality connections between surrounding
communities, employment areas and the centre
••
Congestion in the centre and on railway bridge over
adjacent the station
••
Poor pedestrian crossings facilities
••
Poor arrival experience at station
••
Lack of food and drink offer and evening economy
••
Value focused retail offer
••
Weak investment in new housing
••
Image affected by the Feltham Young Offenders
Institution
40

OPPORTUNITIES
••
Broadening the residential offer, focusing on
young professionals and families
••
Raise quality of environment and development and
enhance image to attract residents
••
Potential to broaden retail mix with informal mid
market dining and cafes
••
Create an urban leisure hub as integral part of the
town centre
••
Diversify, enhance and maintain open spaces as
focus for recreation and physical activities
••
Integrate the station and transport interchange
with town centre to increase dwell time
••
Use infrastructure investment to lever
regeneration benefits
••
Enhance cycle and walking access from
surrounding communities
THREATS
••
Failure of infrastructure investment to deliver wider
regeneration benefits
••
Failure to ring fence development receipts into
upgrading and the maintenance of open spaces
would be lost opportunity
••
Incremental and uncoordinated approach to
development may result in fragmented townscape
••
Failure to enhance the leisure environment may
result in the decline of Feltham as a leisure
destinations as people turn to other town centres
such as Hounslow that offer a more holistic
experience
••
Failure to address congestion and junction
performance for all modes of transport undermines
the attractiveness of the centre
••
Failure to involve and provide spaces for community
may lead to alienation and lost initiatives that could
drive regeneration
FELTHAM - VISION AND CONCEPT MASTERPLAN FINAL REPORT
41

CAFE AND SITTING OUT AREA
NEW WALKING ROUTES
GATEWAY INTO THE PARK
FELTHAM STATION SQUARE
WETLAND AREA
CHILDREN’S PLAY AREA
ENHANCED ATHLETICS TRACK
ENHANCED STATION SQUARE
AND RAILWAY BRIDGE
ENHANCED CRENDON
COURT GARDENS
CENTRE PLAZA
THE CENTRE
RESTAURANT FOCUS
ENHANCED HIGH STREET
ENHANCED FELTHAM GREEN
RE-DEFINED VICTORIA ROAD
EXPANDED ST LAWRENCE
RC PRIMARY SCHOOL
EXPANDED
VICTORIA JUNIOR SCHOOL
ENHANCED CONNECTION
WITH CARDINAL ROAD
Artist illustration of an
interpretation of how
Feltham could look one day.
42

03 A VISION FOR FELTHAM
AN OPPORTUNITY FOR...
A PLACE FOR THE COMMUNITY
THE VISION IS TO STRENGTHEN FELTHAM
TOWN CENTRE’S ROLE AS A PLACE FOR
THE COMMUNITY:
••
A place for the people of Feltham to meet
and socialise;
••
A convenient place to shop and access local
services;
••
A place that invites you to stay longer, have a
coffee, sit out and enjoy public life;
••
A place with something to do in the evening
and the weekend, with a diverse leisure offer,
and more quality places to eat and drink;
••
A place for families with children, with safe
streets, attractive play facilities, excellent
schools, and safe walking access from
surrounding neighbourhoods;
••
A place with inclusive open spaces that are
welcoming to all and with a wide range of
amenities and facilities;
••
A place that enables and supports local
people in the running of and participating
in community activities, events, festivals,
support and self-help activities, pop-up shops
and other meanwhile uses; and
••
A place for bottom-up initiatives, that enables
and supports local people and businesses to
play a part in shaping Feltham’s future.
FELTHAM - VISION AND CONCEPT MASTERPLAN FINAL REPORT
DANCING AROUND THE MAY POLE
A LOCAL FOOD MARKET
MEETING FRIENDS
COMMUNITY GARDENING PROJECTS
EATING OUT
A TOWN CENTRE FESTIVAL
43

AN OPPORTUNITY FOR...
A PLACE WITH A STRONG IDENTITY
MAKING MOST OF FELTHAM’S HERITAGE
ENHANCING HISTORIC GREEN SPACES
BEING INSPIRED BY ITS INDUSTRIOUS PAST
THE VISION IS TO ENHANCE FELTHAM’S IMAGE
AND MAKE IT THE SOURCE OF LOCAL PRIDE:
••
To make Feltham the source of positive news
stories about the community life, events and
development in Feltham;
••
To revive, tell and celebrate the special history of
Feltham as a place where aeroplanes, cars and
trams were built and which continues today as a
varied and exciting location for employment;
••
To provide a focus for the remembrance of
Feltham’s most famous resident Freddie Mercury
for local people and visitors;
••
To enhance historic buildings and spaces and their
setting;
••
To promote new development that is responsive
to its context and of high quality design and
architecture;
••
To enhance existing and create new quality public
spaces as the focus for public life and source of
pride;
••
To establish an attractive station gateway that
celebrates the arrival into Feltham; and
••
To create legible streets and spaces that make it
easy find your way and move through the centre
and its open spaces.
44
REMEMBERING FELTHAM’S MOST
FAMOUS RESIDENT

AN OPPORTUNITY FOR...
A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE AND WORK
THE VISION IS TO ENHANCE FELTHAM AS AN
ATTRACTIVE PLACE TO LIVE AND WORK:
••
To provide a variety of housing types that suit the
changing needs of Feltham’s existing and new
population and supports life-long living within a
neighbourhood - allowing the ‘stepping up and
down’ as circumstance change;
••
To provide an affordable location for Hounslow
residents;
••
To create an attractive environment with safe
streets and access to quality public spaces;
••
To provide quality public facilities and services,
including excellent schools, health care and a well
managed and maintained environment;
••
To enhance access to Feltham town centre and
its facilities from surrounding neighbourhoods and
employment areas;
••
To promote the growth of incubator, higher
intensity and service sector business opportunities
within Feltham town centre;
••
To enhance access to existing employment in the
area, the Borough, at Heathrow and the wider
London area;
••
To create better connections and foster integration
of North Feltham, East Bedfont, Hanworth and
Lower Feltham with the town centre; and
••
To explore the potential to attract a higher
education use into Feltham and to make it a focus
for learning and student life.
WELL DEFINED AND SAFE STREETS
WELL-MANAGED COMMUNAL SPACES
QUALITY AFFORDABLE HOUSING
ATTRACTIVE FAMILY HOUSING
FELTHAM - VISION AND CONCEPT MASTERPLAN FINAL REPORT
SMALL BUSINESSES
TO FLOURISH
45

AN OPPORTUNITY FOR...
CYCLING TO WORK AND FOR LEISURE
A PLEASANT WALKING ENVIRONMENT
A FOOT AND CYCLE PATH ALONG THE LONGFORD RIVER
AN ACCESSIBLE PLACE
Our vision is to make Feltham a place that
is easy to access by foot, on bicycle, by
public transport and the private car through
a balanced approach towards sharing the
available public realm:
••
To improve the integration between the station
and the town, in particular for pedestrians;
••
To provide safe pedestrian crossing facilities
throughout the town centre;
••
To provide well designed streets that offer a good
pedestrian and cycling environment and a quality
public realm;
••
To find a high quality solution to bridging the
railway (in response to the closure of the
level-crossing at Bedfont Lane) that is convenient
for pedestrian and cyclists, creates an attractive
public space and contributes to an enhanced
image of Feltham town centre;
••
To establish a connected network of strategic
cycle and walking routes linking surrounding
neighbourhoods, employment areas and open
spaces with each other and across the town
centre;
••
To enhance bus service provision through the
town centre and passing the railway station;
••
To undertake projects to improve junction
capacity in the area and to mitigate the impact of
level crossing closure as far as practicable;
••
To maintain traffic flows where possible; and
••
To improve the efficiency of use of existing car
parks.
46

AN OPPORTUNITY FOR...
A PLACE WITH FANTASTIC OPEN SPACES
Our vision for Feltham is to have inclusive, well
used and attractive open spaces that contribute
to a strong sense of place and support healthy
and active lifestyles:
••
To transform Feltham Arena (and associated open
spaces) and Hanworth Air Park into attractive,
well managed and safe community parks, which
offer a variety of amenity spaces together with
recreational and sporting facilities for local
residents, workers and visitors;
••
To create a series of new public spaces in the
town centre as focal points for civic life and the
stage for community activities, such as events,
markets and festivals;
••
To make greater use of Feltham Green and the
green space at Crendon Court as welcoming
breathing spaces in the town centre;
••
To establish a network of open spaces that are
well connected by attractive green walking and
cycling routes and easy to find and access;
••
To offer sports and leisure facilities that
encourage and broaden the participation of the
community in physical outdoor activities and help
enhance public health; and
••
To provide open spaces that can be used and
managed by the community for gardening,
horticulture and local farming projects.
ACTIVE OUTDOOR EQUIPMENT
QUALITY GREEN SPACES TO ENJOY
COMMUNITY ALLOTMENTS
ATTRACTIVE CHILDREN’S PLAY FACILITIES
FELTHAM - VISION AND CONCEPT MASTERPLAN FINAL REPORT
47

D
5
3
7
B
5
3
B
7
A
1
4
6
5
9
C
8
A
1
2 4
E
9
8
C
5
F
5
FIGURE 19a (left). Spatial Concept
Plan Option A - proposed mix of uses
transforming Leisure West into urban
leisure hub
12
FIGURE 19b (above), Spatial Concept
Plan Option B - proposed leisure hub
closer to the High Street with Leisure
West becoming future mixed use /
residential area

04 CONCEPT MASTERPLAN
4.1 INTRODUCTION
The Feltham Vision and Concept Masterplan
presents one potential vision for how
Feltham could evolve in the future to
become an even better place to live and
work. It is informed by public engagement
and discussions with stakeholders and
is intended to inspire development and
initiatives that will enhance the town.
It does not carry any statutory weight, and
is not a blueprint for Feltham but rather is
a flexible framework to focus discussions
and help guide the spatial form and type
of development towards a coherent and
connected outcome.
As such, the Feltham Vision and
Concept presents ideas that illustrate
how Feltham’s existing assets and
structures could be strengthened, whilst
remaining mindful of land ownerships
and development constraints, and taking
a realistic view on deliverability. The
vision embraces and supports existing
or emerging initiatives that have gained
some traction on the ground.
The Vision and Concept Masterplan will
form part of the evidence base for the
West of the Borough Plan, a Development
Plan Document (DPD).
4.2 SPATIAL CONCEPT PLAN
The vision for Feltham town centre set out
in Section 03 of this document is presented
spatially through a concept plan (figure
19). This establishes the main spatial and
structuring features for Future Feltham. It
identifies quarters, important routes and
spaces and sets out how they interconnect to
form a coherent place.
The spatial concept plan identifies the
following six areas, each with their own
character and mix of uses:
A: Feltham Town Centre;
B: Feltham Station Gateway;
C: Leisure West;
D: Feltham Parklands;
E: Southern Fringe; and
F: Feltham Industrial Area and MOD lands.
These areas or ‘quarters’ are described in
more detail on the following pages.
The spatial concept plan also identifies a
number of important routes and public spaces
that provide structure and connection to
Feltham.
Key connections:
1) High Street
2) Victoria Road
3) Railway Cross
4) Longford River
5) Town Centre Approaches
Key spaces:
6) The High Street Plaza
7) The Station Square
8) Leisure West Central Space
9) Feltham Green
10) The Pond
11) Feltham Parklands
12) Hanworth Air Park
The character of these connections and spaces
is described in more detail in the section on
public spaces and the public realm later in this
document.
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49

50
Precedent for Feltham High Street, artist illustration of a high street with pedestrian focus

4.3 FELTHAM QUARTERS
A: FELTHAM TOWN CENTRE
Feltham Town Centre should be
strengthened as a place for both shopping,
and leisure and as a focus for activity
in the town. The centre should expand
eastwards and more activity should take
place on High Street and Feltham Green.
Proposals for the centre include:
••
Promoting new development on the eastern
side of High Street with active ground floor
uses including cafes and restaurants that
will animate the street space and re-instate
a double sided high street;
••
Redefining the High Street to provide more
space for pedestrians, better crossing
points, and enhanced public transport and
cycling facilities;
••
Exploring opportunities to encourage the
establishment of cafes with sitting out
terraces on pavements and to provide
a space for regular street and specialist
markets;
••
Better integrating Feltham Green with
the town centre by enhancing the visual
and physical linkages with the street and
providing improved facilities on the green.
Its northern edge could be animated with
cafe and restaurant uses, and the space
could be used for local events and festivals
that celebrate Feltham;
••
Improving the public realm along Victoria
Road and establishing a quality walking
route between High Street and Leisure
West. This must be inviting and feel
safe both during the day, evening and at
weekends; and
••
Promoting the growth of the town centre
towards the east along Victoria Road
and around Feltham Green up to Mono
Lane with mixed use development that
establishes a permeable block structure, a
lively street scene and better connections
with Leisure West, the River and Feltham
Green.
One option is to promote a cluster of leisure
and cultural uses fronting onto High Street
next to Feltham Green, rather than reinforcing
their current location at Leisure West (see C:
Leisure West). This could include a multiplex
cinema, a gym and other cultural facilities.
It would support and attract a greater food
and drink offer in the town centre and help
reinforce the role of High Street as the centre
of gravity of Feltham.
Precedent for Feltham Green: Duke of York Square,
Kings Road - seating overlooking public space
Precedent for Feltham Green: seating around a pond,
Jardin Luxembourg, Paris
FELTHAM - VISION AND CONCEPT MASTERPLAN FINAL REPORT
Opportunity for regular market stalls along Feltham
High Street
51

B: FELTHAM STATION GATEWAY
The area around Feltham Station should
be developed to form a welcoming
gateway into Feltham. The public realm
should be enhanced with wider footways
where possible (and particularly at
existing bridges). Cycle facilities should be
introduced and bus infrastructure renewed
to improve bus journey times whilst
maintaining integration with the station
Proposals for this area include:
••
Integrating the station with new
development that offers a mix of uses,
potentially including apartments and student
housing on the upper floors and commercial
and retail units at ground floors;
••
Creation of a high-quality public space at
the southern station entrance that forms
an attractive arrival square for visitors
and commuters arriving in Feltham from
London. The former station entrance
building on Hounslow Road could be revived
with a cafe or other active use, and views
to St Catherine’s Church spire should be
celebrated;
••
Opportunity for a landmark building to the
north of the station at the intersection of
Hounslow Road and New Road to mark the
northern entrance into the town centre;
••
Provision of a wide pedestrian and cycle
bridge across the railway in place of the
level crossing at Bedfont Lane which is
planned for closure. The bridge should be
a natural extension of the public realm and
provide connectivity between Bedfont
Lane, the Centre (bridge) and the Feltham
Parklands (Feltham Arena and associated
green spaces);
52
Stratford Station bridge, precedent for attractive
pedestrian bridge across railway at Feltham Station
••
Renewal of bus infrastructure to improve
bus journey times whilst maintaining
integration with the station and town;
••
Promotion of new frontage development
with retail uses where they can benefit from
station related footfall; and
••
The provision of pedestrian walkways along
an enhanced Hounslow Road at the bridges
over the railway and Longford River.
(c) insidelondon2012
Brighton Station, Precedent for welcoming station
square outside Feltham Station
Artist Illustration of a taller building to mark the
approach into Feltham town centre from the north

C: LEISURE WEST
Currently Leisure West does not feel part
of Feltham town centre. Its connections
with the town centre are poor and its
visitors do not frequent the High Street.
Successful new leisure developments are
built on creating an urban atmosphere around
central public spaces that are animated and
overlooked by food, drink and retail uses, and
complemented by hotels and residential uses
within the upper floors.
Going forward Leisure West and in particular
its cinema is likely to face some competition
from Hounslow, where a new multiplex is
planned. This is situated in an urban setting
and supported by other town centre uses. It
is accessible by public transport and is likely
to present a more appealing offer for many
potential users.
This study considers two potential options for
the future of the Leisure West site.
OPTION 1: REINVIGORATE LEISURE WEST
This requires substantial investment in the
centre and its transformation into an urban
leisure hub.
A multi-storey car park would need to be
built to free up sites for new development,
focussing around a new public space where
cafe and restaurant and other leisure facilities
could be located and with residential and other
uses above.
Care has to be taken that the mix of new uses
complements rather than detracts from the
town centre offer.
Artist illustration of an urban leisure development
overlooked by residential development as promoted
in Feltham
OPTION 2: NEW LEISURE DEVELOPMENT
AT THE HIGH STREET WITH LEISURE WEST
REDEVELOPED FOR HOUSING
This radical option aims to reinforce the town
centre by developing a new leisure facility
closer to the High Street. This could include a
compact new cinema, a bowling facility and
other leisure and cultural uses. It would attract
food and drink uses and benefit from regular
town centre footfall.
The leisure use would further benefit from
direct public transport access in the centre
and parking could be shared with the existing
town centre car park (‘The Centre’) or in a new
multi-storey car park. Other shopping uses
could complement the centre to enhance its
viability.
Precedent of a leisure destination with food and drink
uses lining a central space, Westgate Leisure Park,
Aldershot
In this scenario the existing Leisure West
site could be redeveloped as an attractive,
predominantly residential quarter overlooking
the Longford River.
Either option requires in the short term
improvements to the public realm along
Victoria Road to establish it as an attractive
and lively walking route between Leisure West
and the town centre with its public transport.
This is critical to reduce the leisure centre’s
reliance on car access and to make it feel part
of the town centre.
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53

Kidbrooke Village, precedent for new residential
development overlooking park
Precedent for a cafe overlooking and animating a
park, Cafe Arthurs on the Green, Twickenham
Precedent of a contemporary university building in a
green campus setting, Cambridge University Faculty
of Education
D: FELTHAM ARENA, THE GLEBELANDS,
BLENHEIM PARK, FELTHAM PARK
The Concept Masterplan proposes to
combine the existing open spaces around
Feltham Arena to the north west of the
town centre into a fantastic urban park
that is well maintained, animated and
offers a range of recreation and sports
facilities for the community.
Proposals for this area include:
••
Linking Blenheim Park, the Longford River
walk, Feltham Arena, Glebelands Playing
Fields and Feltham Park into a coherent
series of parkland spaces;
••
Creation of a network of routes through the
parkland that help to integrate the park with
surrounding neighbourhoods and Feltham
town centre. This may include including
provision of a new pedestrian bridge across
the Longford River;
••
Creating a focus for local initiatives including
gardening and outdoor sports and fitness
activities for the local community within the
park;
••
Providing a cafe and changing facilities in a
central and accessible location within the
parklands;
••
Promoting new development at the site
between New Road and the Longford River
to establish a striking new gateway from the
town centre and the station into the new
parklands.
OPTION D+: NEW FELTHAM UNIVERSITY
There is an option to attract a new higher
education facility into Feltham town
centre. This could specialise in technology,
exploring links to Heathrow and reviving
Feltham’s history as centre of aviation
and manufacturing. A new campus could
include sports and recreation facilities
around the parklands, with teaching
facilities on brownfield sites within the
town centre, and student housing around
Feltham Station.
This would provide a step change for Feltham
and significantly expand the education offer for
the local community. The campus would enliven
the park and help its maintenance and upkeep.
The University would transform Feltham into
a student town and bring a significant student
population and staff into Feltham, with positive
impacts on the lifelines of the centre and the
diversity of its retail, food, drink and leisure
offer. This may also involve development of
student housing.
54

Artist illustration of urban treeline
boulevard as proposed for
the High Street (south)
Recent Segro Development, Industrial Unit on Forest
Road, Feltham
E: SOUTHERN FRINGE
The southern end of the High Street
is mixed in character and includes
large floorplate buildings often on
extensive sites. The Concept Masterplan
promotes reconfiguring, intensifying and
redeveloping sites within this area to
create a stronger more coherent urban
structure that re-establishes strong
frontage onto the High Street. The
area should retain its mixed-use focus,
intensify its residential offer and build on
the location of the new Reach Academy to
increase footfall and activity to this part of
Feltham
Proposals for this area include:
••
Intensifying development along the
southern part of the High Street to provide
activity and better enclosure to this
important connection between Feltham
town centre and Lower Feltham;
••
Transforming the public realm to create
a tree-lined boulevard and enhanced
pedestrian crossing facilities.
••
Enhancements to cycle facilities to tie in
with new facilities further northwards ion
High Street; and
••
Exploring opportunities for on-street parking
to support passing trade of shops (short
stay) and to generate revenue (longer stay
parking).
F: FELTHAM INDUSTRIAL AREA AND MOD LANDS
To the south east of the town centre land is
currently occupied by a mix of employment
uses and the secure compound of the MOD.
Building stock varies and in recent years new
buildings have been developed in Forest
Road, and Plane Tree Crescent.
In the short to medium term the majority
of the area is likely to remain in its current
use. However, older building stock along
Browells Lane offers the opportunity
for redevelopment for town centre and
residential uses in the medium term. This
would be dependent on the status and
capacity of the local road network.
If the MOD decides to close its Feltham
facility, there is an opportunity to develop a
substantial new urban residential quarter with
a permeable block structure that integrates
with Feltham town centre. In the meantime
the creation of better and more direct walking
and cycling routes linking the employment
areas with the town centre should be explored.
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55

4.4 LAND USES
4.4.1 RETAIL USES
Feltham Town Centre is the commercial heart
of Feltham. It provides the primary shopping
offer and service facilities for the residents of
Feltham, East Bedfont and Hanworth.
The socioeconomic and market analysis carried
out by GVA suggests that there is potential
for modest growth in the Feltham retail offer.
Additional provision would be dependent
on an increased local catchment population
and would need to complement rather than
compete with the existing retail provision to
create a better all-round shopping experience.
There may be potential to concentrate new
retail uses around the station and along
routes linking it with the bus interchange
where it can capture footfall from commuters
travelling through Feltham. Any additional retail
floorspace should complement the existing
retail experience, and not compete with
existing successful shops.
Primary retail uses, especially comparison
retail, should be concentrated within the town
centre to reinforce the centre and prevent
fragmentation.
Food and Drink Offer
There is currently a gap in the offer in terms of
informal, mid-market dining and café activity,
which partly appears to be held back by the
lack of available mid size units.
The opportunity should be sought to increase
A3 and A4 uses (cafes, restaurants and bars)
along the High Street and overlooking Feltham
Green to provide an offer that enhances the
attractiveness of the centre and retains people
for longer.
In the medium to longer term there could be
scope to expand the retail offer into the area
between the High Street and up to the Leisure
West site.
Mixed use corridors along the lower section
of the High Street, Hounslow Road, Bedfont
Lane and Hanworth Road could be enhanced
as locations for secondary retail frontages that
provide space for independent and specialist
retailers, local convenience stores and take
aways.
4.4.2 LEISURE USES
Leisure West is a sub-regional leisure
destination within the town centre primarily
accessed by car. The cinema attracts visitors
into Feltham primarily from within a four
mile radius, in particular during evenings
and weekends. Regeneration proposals for
Hounslow town centre include a new multiplex
complex embedded in a restaurant and
shopping environment. This is likely to affect
the catchment and attractiveness of Leisure
West in the future.
For the future success of the cinema and
other leisure uses in Feltham it is important to
integrate them better with a wider town centre
offer. This will enable visitors to benefit from
cafes and restaurants, a shopping offer and
other town centre amenities such as access to
public transport and attractive public spaces,
as part of their leisure experience. This could
either be achieved by exploring opportunities
for enhancing the Leisure West centre, or
a more radical repositioning of leisure uses
on the High Street to complement the retail
centre.
FIGURE 20a (right). Mix of Uses
Option A - proposed mix of uses
transforming Leisure west into
urban leisure hub
FIGURE 20b (right above), Mix
of Uses Option B - proposed
leisure hub at the High Street and
redeveloped Leisure West as a
predominantly residential area
56

57

4.4.3 OFFICES AND INDUSTRIAL ACTIVITIES
There is a significant concentration of industrial
and office park uses in the Bromwells Road
/ Forest Road area to the south of the High
Street. The area appears to be performing well
despite an aging stock and significant access
constraints. Higher quality building stock has
recently been developed in Forest Road and
can also be found in Plane Tree Crescent.
Short term
In the short term the concept masterplan
envisages minimal change to the industrial
area apart from enhancing its walking and
cycling connection with the town centre.
Medium term
In the medium to long term there may be
opportunities to redevelop some of the older
stock in closer proximity to the town centre
and Leisure West into a mixed use extension
of the town centre and for residential
purposes.
Long term
In the longer term the aim should be to
move the bulk of traffic intensive, dirty and
space hungry industrial activities out of the
immediate hinterland of Feltham town centre
towards locations that are more accessible and
suitable.
The MOD currently occupies a significant
site in this area. While there is currently no
indication that this use is going to move, it
would bring a transformational change for
Feltham should this area become available for
redevelopment as a residential urban quarter.
Offices
Despite a weak office market there are
likely to be opportunities for office-based
employment in the future in particular in the
ICT and professional services. There may
be opportunities for Feltham to deliver new,
small business orientated office and workshop
space within the town centre environment.
These may be new purpose built spaces,
ground floor units within mixed use
developments or the conversion of older
warehouses and industrial buildings.
The partly vacant 1970/80s office buildings
along the High Street however largely lack the
flexibility and appeal to this growth sector and
are vulnerable to change of use to residential
accommodation under Permitted Development
legislation.
4.4.4 RESIDENTIAL USES
The GVA research indicates that broadening
the residential offer to provide a greater range
and quality of housing will be important to
underpin the future vitality of the town centre.
New homes will need to encourage a new
cohort of young professionals and families
into the area if the retail spend potential is to
be increased. This will require a mix of high
quality apartments and larger family homes.
Apartments should form part of high quality,
mixed use urban scale developments aligning
their location with leisure/dining amenities
and the station. Family housing should seek
to provide an attractive alternative to the
dominant suburban semi-detached stock that
currently exists; this could take the form of
town houses to deliver a denser, more urban
feel to the town centre fringes.
New apartment development is encouraged
throughout the town centre and around
the station, on the Leisure West site and in
the Southern Fringe area. More peripheral
locations can accommodate a greater share of
family housing.
Residential uses extend the activity in Feltham
into the evening and throughout the weekend.
They contribute to a safer environment by
providing animation and overlooking to streets
and also provide patronage to local shops.
With the envisaged residential uses, car
parking for apartments will generally need
to be provided in undercroft, basement or
courtyard car parks with only limited amount of
visitor car parking provided on the street.
58

Affordable units should be spread uniformly
across a development site to prevent a
concentration in one location. Affordable
homes should be of equal build quality and
indistinguishable from other residential
development.
Hotels / Student Housing
Given its proximity to Heathrow Feltham may
be interesting to a hotel operator. Similarly
student housing may be attracted to Feltham
due to its good rail links with Brentford where
the University of West London has one of its
main campuses.
If Feltham were to attract its own higher
education provision student housing could
make up a significant proportion of new
development in the town centre and at
Feltham Station Gateway.
Both uses would be a good fit for the town
centre in particular around the station but also
within the Leisure Hub area, as they bring
spending power to Feltham and support the
growth of the evening economy.
4.4.5 SCHOOLS & COMMUNITY
INFRASTRUCTURE
Schools
Feltham has a good provision of primary and
secondary schools in and around the centre.
The Reach Academy, an innovative all-through
school, offers a promising new addition to the
spectrum of schools within the centre.
While schools currently have some capacity
this is likely to change when substantial
new residential development is delivered in
Feltham.
In the longer term, whilst having schools in the
town centre is an asset for Feltham, population
increases may necessitate the provision of
expanded school facilities within walking
distance of the town centre. Sites for new
school provision could be found on brownfield
sites to the south of the town centre where
they could complement existing school uses.
Saint Lawrence Roman Catholic Primary School
St Lawrences Primary School currently
occupies the site immediately to the north of
Feltham Green and operates out of two single
storey buildings. A new purpose built primary
school building on this site could increase the
capacity of this school and provide a much
enhanced teaching environment together
with improved outdoor spaces. It could also
release part of its current site adjacent to
Feltham Green for a mixed use development.
This would help to animate the Green, provide
overlooking and establish a better setting
for the space, St Lawrence Church and the
School.
Victoria Junior School
Victoria Junior School occupies a single storey
building on Victoria Road. In the longer term
the consolidation of the Junior School in a new
building could be explored. This would increase
its capacity, provide enhanced teaching and
outdoor spaces and a better interface with
Victoria Road. It could further allow residential
development on surplus space.
Community Infrastructure
The centre is well served by other community
infrastructure, including a library, health
centre, post office, banks and other facilities.
An increased population within Feltham may
require the provision of new health, social
and community facilities above and beyond
the extra capacity identified in the 2015
Infrastructure Delivery Plan. Opportunities
to deliver this should be explored when
significant new development comes forward.
Feltham town centre however lacks a
dedicated community venue that provides
the focus and spaces for self-help, creative
and community led social activities. Currently
activities are hosted by disparate facilities,
including the Library, the Community College
and Feltham Assembly Hall.
The opportunity should be explored to provide
additional community facilities in the heart
of Feltham. This could be located adjacent to
Feltham Green which could form a focus for
outdoor activities and festivals. It could include
performance space, dance and music studios,
meeting rooms, informal gathering spaces and
a cafe, as well as facilities for young people.
It could also become permanent home to
Feltham Arts Association and other local
community groups, and the focus for a strong
community life in Feltham.
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59

60
FIGURE 21. Proposed heights, landmarks and views

4.5 BUILDING HEIGHT & VIEWS
The height of development is an important
determinant of the character of a place and
needs to respond both to the existing context,
the land uses proposed and the desired future
image. The height of development varies
throughout the centre and its surrounding
areas.
4.5.1 PROPOSED HEIGHTS
The a principle the height of development
is higher in the town centre and decreases
the further development is away. Figure 21
indicates the broad building heights proposed
for Feltham.
Heights are defined in storeys, not metres.
Although storey height may vary depending
on the nature of development and the use,
the resultant variation in the physical building
height with an alternating eaves line will
positively contribute to an interesting building
front, variety and character.
New development throughout the town
centre, around the station, within the Leisure
West area and overlooking Feltham Parklands
should be up to a maximum height of five (six
with set back) storeys. This height enables
efficient, higher density urban developments
while retaining a human scale of streets and
spaces.
New development in and adjacent to the
Feltham Town Centre Conservation Area
must respond adequately to its context to
FELTHAM - VISION AND CONCEPT MASTERPLAN FINAL REPORT
ensure the preservation and enhancement
of the historic character of the area. Building
height should not be overbearing or detract
from historic buildings and their setting, in
particular around Feltham Green and in the
wider Hanworth Road area. Each individual
development proposal will need to justify its
approach to height in relation to its context and
the conservation area.
Outside the areas defined above building
heights between two and three storeys
are generally appropriate, subject to being
sympathetic to their context.
Development within parks and open spaces
(in particular school and community buildings)
should generally not exceed two storeys so as
to stay below the tree line and be subservient
to the landscape character.
Generally set backs or other forms of occupied
roof-space are promoted to create a variety in
roof-lines and an interesting roof scape. The
design of ridge, eaves level, and or roof profile
should vary. A uniform or repetitive roof design
should be avoided. Roof scapes may also step
forward at corners and entrances to enhance
legibility.
4.5.2 VIEWS
Views to St Catherine’s Spire are a prominent
feature of Feltham. They help legibility and way
finding, and contribute to a sense of place. It
is important that new development does not
encroach into and detract from existing views
of the church spire.
This includes the following views:
••
From Bedfont Lane between Southern
Avenue and Sandycombe Road;
••
From Feltham Parklands;
••
From Hounslow Road;
••
From the High Street; and
••
From Longford River (east of High Street).
4.5.3 POTENTIAL LANDMARK BUILDINGS
The New development offers the opportunity
to enhance Feltham’s townscape with a couple
of well considered landmark buildings:
••
At the intersection of New Road and
Hounslow Road, where it provides a focal
point for views along Hounslow Road and
would mark the entrance into Feltham town
centre from the north; and
••
At the corner of New Road with the
Longford River where a building could help
to emphasise the entrance into the Feltham
Parklands and vice versa act as a beacon for
the station and town centre from within the
park.
Appropriate heights of feature buildings
will need to be justified in relation to
the surrounding context, visual impact
assessment, and the criteria detailed in Policy
CC3 of the Local Plan.
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4.6 MOVEMENT
4.6.1 PLANNED CLOSURE OF THE LEVEL
CROSSING
The planned closure of the level crossing
on Bedfont Lane will have a profound
impact on how the town centre is accessed
in particular from East Bedfont. The LB
Hounslow’s transport team have already
started the process of developing a transport
improvement scheme that aims to mitigate
this impact and to enhance the movement
into, and through, the town centre for all
modes.
Currently this considers the following
proposals:
••
Diverting all existing traffic on Bedfont
Lane (which currently passes over the level
crossing), to Hounslow Road via New Road;
••
Signalising the New Road junction (including
providing crossing facilities for pedestrians);
••
Widening the approaches to Hounslow
Road bridge to improve capacity at its
junction with Hanworth Road;
••
Rationalising the road space in the High
Street and provision of cycle lanes, better
pedestrian crossing points and improved
bus facilities;
••
Provision of a pedestrian and cycle bridge
across the railway at Bedfont Lane, that
also links with the existing bridge into ‘The
Centre’;
••
Creation of a shared cycle and walking path
The level crossing on Bedfont Lanes that is planned for closure
along the Longford River from the east
of the High Street to Browells Lane and
linking this into the wider cycle and walking
network; and
••
Provision of additional bus stops on
Hounslow Road to the north of the station
bridge, together with a third entrance into
Feltham Station from the north, to reduce
journey times of bus routes 285 and 490,
which will no any longer need to service the
bus station on New Road.
A public consultation on these proposals is
planned in summer 2015, following early
feasibility work.
The concept masterplan supports these
proposals. They have informed the following
sections, which look at the wider movement
in the town centre comprehensively in the
context of regeneration.
62

4.6.2 ROAD NETWORK
Traffic congestion was reported by
stakeholders as one of the key issues that
affect the town centre. The movement
strategy for Feltham must take a balanced
approach that considers the requirements of
all modes. In particular it aims to enhance the
attractiveness of public transport, cycling and
walking as sustainable means to access the
centre.
The ability to significantly increase capacity of
the network is limited as the space available
for highway improvements is constrained. The
proposals presented here will help mitigate
some of the impacts of the level crossing
closure and make it easier for pedestrians
to cross the main streets however they are
unlikely to reduce congestion from its current
level.
FIGURE 22. Proposed road network and parking
63

The concept masterplan proposes the
following interventions:
••
Enhancement to the High Street to provide
better footways, enhanced pedestrian
crossing facilities and continuous cycle
routes. The road space is narrowed whilst
retaining its current capacity, and improving
junction performance;
••
Enhancement to Victoria Road as an
important walking connection between
the town centre and Leisure West. This
may include the introduction of a one way
system to provide local access, and allow
for the widening of pavements and the
establishment of a high quality public realm.
Retaining a degree of vehicular movement
on this street and the provision of on-street
parking would help to animate the street
space and enhance its safety particular
after hours and in the evening when Leisure
West visitors walk along this street to and
from the public transport links on the High
Street; and
••
Potential in the medium to long term to
create a permeable network of access
streets to support new development to
the east of the High Street and on the
Leisure West site. Access streets without
a strategic movement function should
be designed on shared space principles
to enable play and an informal use by
residents.
4.6.3 PARKING
Preparation of a dedicated parking strategy
for the town centre is recommended. This
should explore Feltham’s current car parking
provision, current and future parking needs
and parking management holistically from a
transport and regeneration perspective. Ideas
to be considered by this study should include
the following:
••
An approach to coordinating and sharing the
available car parking resources throughout
the town centre to enhance the efficiency
of their use, encourage trip combination and
make people spend more time in the centre;
••
The potential introduction of a progressive
pricing strategy that rewards medium term
parking (2-4 hours) for town centre users
over long-stay car parking for commuters.
This should also encourage the greater use
of the existing and proposed multistory car
parks in the centre over surface car parks as
they present a more efficient use of space;
••
Introduction of coordinated car park signage,
potentially supported by real time parking
availability information;
••
Consideration of a multistory car park at
Leisure West to free up some of the current
surface car park for development;
••
Redevelopment of the small pay and display
car parks around the station to encourage
a modal shift towards public transport,
cycling and walking, and to make available
land for development of an attractive station
gateway and public space;
••
The potential of on-street pay and display
parking throughout the centre where there
is surplus road space. This can provide
short term parking in the centre to support
passing trade. Out of hours these bays
could be free of charge, serving visitors of
the leisure and eating out uses in the centre,
while also providing a degree of animation
to street spaces; and
••
Exploring with residents the potential for a
Controlled Parking Zone around the town
centre to prevent commuter and visitor
parking in adjacent residential areas.
64

4.6.4 PUBLIC TRANSPORT
The Council is considering substantial
improvements to the way buses operate in the
town centre and how they link with the railway
station.
Integrating the transport interchange with
the town centre could help to stimulate
regeneration, generate footfall and support
new businesses retaining commuters for
longer in the centre and encouraging trip
combination.
Routes between the centre, the railway station
and local bus stops need to be direct, legible
and convenient and maximise opportunities for
footfall outside new frontage development.
Bus stops around the station and throughout
the centre should be positioned in locations
where they can support urban life, footfall
and frontage activities. In particular within the
town centre they should provide an attractive
waiting environment to enhance the appeal of
busses.
FIGURE 23. Proposed public transport network
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65

4.6.5 CYCLING
The Council plans to establish a
comprehensive network of sub-regional cycle
routes that link East Bedfont, Hanworth, North
Feltham and Feltham Village with each other
and the town centre.
Proposals that should be considered as part of
this include:
••
Provision of dedicated cyclie lanes along the
High Street;
••
Provision of a leisure and commuter route
(shared cycle and pedestrian path) along the
Longford River and through Hanworth Air
Park;
••
Provision of a new continuous shared cycle
and pedestrian path along the railway line,
that links Bedfont Lakes Country Park in the
west with the River Crane and Hounslow
Heath to the east;
••
Establishing cycle routes that use quieter
local streets. Effective low key intervention
to encourage greater uptake of cycling may
involve the change of pedestrian only paths
that connect cul-de-sac streets into shared
use paths and the provision of dropped
kerbs and appropriate signage; and
••
Provision of sufficient, quality, cycle parking
facilities throughout the centre, in the High
Street, at the railway station, at Leisure
West and along routes through open spaces
or close to their entrances. New residential
and commercial development should
provide sufficient secured and convenient
bicycle storage for residents and workers.
4.6.6 WALKING
To enhance the sustainability of the centre,
walking (along with cycling) should be the
primary means to access the centre and the
station from the surrounding neighbourhoods.
The enhancement of the pedestrian network
with direct, continuous and safe routes is key
to better connecting the town centre with its
hinterland. This will encourage more walking
trips and at the same time support the health
and well being of residents.
Walking routes should be pleasant and wide
but should generally be part of multi-purpose
streets and overlooked by frontages of
development, to allow for sufficient activity
and passive surveillance.
Many routes into the centre are unattractive
to use with poor quality public realm, narrow
footways or a lack of animation.
The following routes need addressing:
1 High Street and Hounslow Road (footways
enhancement and junction improvements);
2 Bedfont Lane (public realm and frontage
improvements);
3 Routes along the Longford River and
through the new Feltham Parklands
(Feltham Arena) and Hanworth Air Park
(durable surfacing, signage, forward
visibility, safety and lighting);
4 Victoria Road (public realm and frontage
improvements) and continuation into
Browells Lane and Forest Road (better and
more direct walking routes);
5 Pedestrian link between High Street and
Cardinal Road across Longford River
(enhancing public realm, legiblity, forward
visibility and safety);
6 Browells Lane (public realm and frontage
improvements);
7 Poplar Way (public realm and frontage
improvements); and
8 Manor Way (public realm and frontage
improvements).
Currently there is no direct walking connection
between the residential and industrial areas
to the south of the MOD estate with the
centre. If and when this area comes forward
for development establishing such a route
and greater general permeability should be a
priority.
66

3
3
2
1
2
5
5
1
4
3
3
8
1
6
7
FIGURE 24. Proposed cycling and walking network
3
67

1 High Street Plaza
2 Feltham Green
4
7
1
6
3
8
3 Crendon Court Gardens
4 Feltham Parklands
5 Hanworth Air Park
6 Station Square South
7 Station Square North and
Railway Bridge
8 Longford River Walk
9 Leisure West Space
4.7 PUBLIC REALM & OPEN SPACES
4.7.1 PUBLIC REALM
The public realm encompasses the publicly
accessible space between buildings (streets
and public spaces). Streets are more than
conduits for vehicles. They are also the spaces
onto which new homes and businesses front
and the space that will be used by pedestrian
and cyclists. The quality of the streets within
the wider Feltham area should be carefully
considered to provide high quality environments
that are safe and attractive for all users.
2
9
The treatment, quality and design of the
public realm has an important impact on
the character and appearance of an area.
Generally public realm treatment should be of
a high quality with consistent and continuous
treatment adhering to generally agreed design
standards.
5
FIGURE 25. Proposed open spaces network
68

Precedent of a quality public space with ample formal
and informal seating and water features that makes
people want to stay, Peace Gardens, Sheffield
Overall the public realm throughout Feltham’s
town centre is disjointed and requires
improvement. The initial focus should be on
enhancing the central areas of Feltham on the
back of the planned transport improvements.
This should include the High Street (north),
Hounslow Road (south), Bedfont Lane (east),
New Road and Victoria Road.
Improvements of these streets will have the
biggest impact on the appearance and amenity
of the centre, help uplift its image and could
be a catalyst for wider regeneration.
Following the first round of improvements the
focus of public realm improvements should
move outwards onto the main access routes
into the town centre, inlcuding High Street
(south), Hounslow Road (north), Browells Lane,
Bedfont Lane (west) and Poplar Way to name
a few.
4.7.2 OPEN SPACES
The concept masterplan proposes a network
of open spaces each with their own particular
character and function.
These open spaces serve a number of
purposes:
••
They form part of the essential green
infrastructure in Feltham and integrate with
the wider strategic green infrastructure
network;
••
They offer attractive environmental qualities
and amenities and encourage social, cultural
and recreational outdoor activities for the
local and wider community;
••
They act as memorable points of reference
and help people to find their way around;
and
••
They provide an attractive setting for
adjoining uses and enhance property values.
Public spaces are best located at pivotal points
in the pedestrian network, where they are
easy to access and benefit from natural footfall
through the area. In these locations they can
help contribute to the legibility of the area and
provide a focus for activity.
Feltham’s public spaces should become
showcases for the town, and the Council
and its partners should actively encourage
high quality, cutting edge design, and the
involvement of the local community in
developing concepts and ideas.
Quality open spaces act as value drivers and
may be used to attract investment into Feltham.
Existing open spaces should be enhanced, and
the concept masterplan proposes a number of
new public spaces in the town centre to create
new focal points.
The future maintenance of public spaces
needs to be considered from the outset. In the
town centre this could involve the creation of a
Business Improvement District (BID) that takes
responsibility in partnership with the Council
for the upkeep and maintenance of these
spaces.
In the Feltham Parklands and Hanworth Air
Park there may be an opportunity, through
the development of lands at the edge of the
open spaces, to generate funds or provide
an endowment for a trust to pay for the
enhancement and future maintenance regime
of the open spaces.
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69

4.7.3 EXISTING SPACES ENHANCED
1: HIGH STREET PLAZA
The existing public open space in ‘The Centre’
is small and visibility to it is restricted from the
High Street by a small retail kiosk. The wider
pavement on the west side of the High Street
does not feel like a proper public space and
lacks amenities.
There is a major opportunity here to create
an inviting public space as the focus of the
town centre. Removing the kiosk building
could open up this space significantly and
create a welcoming entrance into the shopping
centre. It would also enable the establishment
of sitting out terraces for cafes or allow for
market stalls.
The pavements on the western side of the
High Street could be widened as part of a
rationalisation of the overall street space. This
could become an extension of the High Street
Plaza, enhance the shop frontages, allow for
Precedent for a high street plaza that combines
a quality public realm with high traffic flows, St
Patrick’s Street, Cork
sitting out, and provide space for a regular
street market and local festivals.
The two areas should have a coherent public
realm treatment with quality pavement
materials, seating and feature lighting. Existing
tree planting should be retained and integrated
in the design for example as a location around
which seating could be located. Retractable
power outlets could also be provided as part
of a multi-functional zone to provide markets
stalls and events with electricity.
Potential to have regular market stalls on the High
Street Plaza to revive Feltham as a market place
2: FELTHAM GREEN
Feltham Green currently does not fulfil its
potential, is hidden away and does not feel
part of the town centre. The Green should be
opened up and to establish better visual and
physical connections from the High Street,
with steps and ramps leading into it.
The war memorial should be given greater
presence from the open space, and the route
around the lake including its edge should be
enhanced, providing sufficient space to walk
around and enjoy, and allowing people formally
and informally to sit around its edges.
New paths that lead into the green from its
four corners could entice people to walk
though the space towards the High Street.
At the northern corner with the High Street
the development of a new cafe and restaurant
70

Precedent for Feltham Green: Duke of York Square,
Kings Road - seating overlooking public space
use is proposed with a sitting-out terrace that
helps to animate the space.
A wider hard surfaced area along the northern
edge of the Green could provide the stage for
community activities such festivals, car boot
sales and events. This would help integrate the
Green within the town centre and re-establish
it as a focus for the community.
Precedent for a stepped edge: steps and ramps
leading into public space
3: CRENDON COURT GARDENS
Hidden away and overgrown, this pocket park
goes almost unnoticed despite its central
location opposite the station and next to St
Catherine’s Church spire.
It is proposed to open the park up and explore
a new way in from Hounslow Road and the
Station Square, which would establish a direct
route from Hanworth Road and bring footfall
in and through the space. This could involve a
new set of stairs leading into the space from
the proposed eastern footway along Hounslow
Road on the bridge. The potential for a direct
link from the Station Square below Hounslow
Road could also be explored.
Some of the undergrowth and vegetation
could be removed to establish clear sight lines
into the space and towards the pond from
Precedent for Crendon Court Gardens: a contemporary
landscape treatment, Olympic Park, Stratford
surrounding streets. This would enhance its
visibility and safety. A contemporary landscape
design and enhancements to the pond could
transform this into a more meaningful and
used open space.
There is an opportunity to redevelop the
former job-centre on Crendon Court. This
could be a mixed use development with
active ground floor uses that would animate
the green space (and also Hounslow Road at
bridge level). Apartments or student housing
in the upper floors could further contribute
to overlooking and activity. The development
could adopt the space and be responsible for
its improvements and maintenance, while
keeping it open for the use by the general
public.
FELTHAM - VISION AND CONCEPT MASTERPLAN FINAL REPORT
71

Precedent of a central connecting route through the
park, Olympic Park, Stratford
Precedent for Longford River in the park, a naturalistic
water feature as focus in the landscape, Kidbrooke
Precedent of open grass lands for informal use,
Princess Street Gardens, Edinburgh
4: FELTHAM PARKLANDS
It is proposed to combine the Feltham
Arena, Blenheim Park, Glebelands Playing
Field, Poor’s Piece and Feltham Park into a
contiguous and joined-up green space that
functions as a whole.
Together they could offer a variety of formal
and natural landscape character areas,
alongside the River Longford which will form
a central focus. Improved connections across
the park to neighbouring areas are proposed.
A new pedestrian and cycle bridge across the
Longford River is also proposed in the centre
of the park.
The current running track could be enhanced
and complemented with other open air sports
facilities for the use by the community. This
could include an open air gym and fitness
area, a basket ball court or skate park. Formal
football fields and informal kick-about areas
and a children’s play area should also form
part of the offer. A new cafe with integrated
changing facilities could be situated central to
this community sports hub, offering a local
base for community clubs, and providing
passive and active supervision for the facilities.
Poor’s Piece (also known as ‘Poets Corner’)
could become a community garden, that is
run and shaped by local people. This could
celebrate some of Feltham’s history as a
centre for market gardening and as the origin
of ‘Feltham First’ - a popular pea variety.
In the 1980s Feltham Arena was the venue for
open air concerts, and there may be interest
in the community to revive this tradition in the
park.
A striking new gateway into the park could
be established at the station with a quality
landscape and open space treatment that
opens up views and leads people into the park.
New development on sites surrounding the
park should maximise the opportunity to
create better enclosure and overlooking to the
park. Where possible they should orientate
towards the park and front onto a new access
road alongside the park. This would provide
better access to the open space and help to
make the parklands feel safer.
Development contributions, capital receipts
or income from development around the park
and in the town centre could be ring-fenced for
the purpose of funding park improvements and
supporting the future maintenance of the park.
This could take the form of a park trust, using
a similar model as the successful Parks Trust
Milton Keynes (http://www.theparkstrust.
com).
72

Potential for community gardens or allotments in the
park (precedent from Stockholm)
5: HANWORTH AIR PARK
Hanworth Air Park should be enhanced to
become a more active green space with a
series of different landscape spaces, facilities
and attractions that complement the Feltham
Parklands.
This could involve the introduction of a more
diverse landscape treatment, the opening up
of the culverted Longford River and creation
of a focus around the river potentially including
wetland areas with a more naturalistic
setting, involving reed beds and pond dipping
opportunities.
The entrances into the park should be
enhanced and a network of formal shared
cycle and walking paths established that link
with the surrounding communities around the
park.
Precedent of an informal play object as a focal point
in a green space, Mabley Green, Hamerton
Hanworth House should be brought back into
meaningful use and could provide a cafe as a
focus for the park.
The Hanworth Air Park Leisure Centre could
become the driver for promoting a more
active use of the park, and also supervise and
maintain new facilities. This could include the
provision of an open air gym, an adventure
playground and formal (potentially flood-lit)
playing fields. The building of a lido could be
considered as part of an enhancement and
extension of the current swimming offer in the
leisure centre.
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73

4.7.4 NEW SPACES CREATED
6: STATION SQUARE SOUTH
It is proposed to transform the current drop-off
and station car park space into a welcoming
gateway to the town. A large pedestrian area
is proposed in front of the old station building
and new steps will lead down the embankment
into this space from the bridge on Hounslow
Road. The early 20th century station building
could be revived as a cafe with entrances both
on Hounslow Road and on the station square.
Vegetation on the embankment could be
thinned to allow improved views towards St.
Catherine’s Church Spire that would lend the
space a sense of place and assist orientation.
The taxi rank and drop-off facilities could be
re-organised while the amount of station car
parking is reduced. Lost parking revenues could be
offset by increased revenue from additional retail
units in the station.
Precedent for Station Square South: soft surface
treatments differentiate the square from the
movement zone, Johann-Phillip Strasse, Trier
7: STATION SQUARE NORTH & RAILWAY BRIDGE
Planned changes to the bus routing in the
town centre means that the capacity of
the bus station at the north entrance into
Feltham Station can be reduced. This offers
the opportunity for significant enhancements
to the environment to the north of Feltham
station. This could include the removal of
the bus lane and stops closest to the station
building and the establishment of a new public
space outside the station entrance.
The planned closure of the level railway
crossing at Bedfont Lane requires the building
of a new pedestrian and cycle bridge across
the railway. To be successful this bridge
will need to provide a convenient and direct
connection between Bedfont Lane, Feltham
Precedent for the Feltham Railway Bridge: a walking
and cycling bridge that is completely integrated in
the public realm, Mile End Park
Community Park, the station forecourt and The
Centre.
A wide sets of stairs should be considered
along the walking desire lines along Bedfont
Lane together with the provision of DDA
compliant ramps. The bridge, stairs and
ramps should form an integral part of a wider
landscape and public realm solution to create
an attractive environment and contribute to
a sense of place rather than solely being a
technical solution to crossing the railway line.
74

Photomontage of a potential new walking and cycling
route along Longford River
8: LONGFORD RIVER WALK
A shared cycle and pedestrian path is planned
along the Longford River between the High
Street and Browells Lane.
This will open up the river for people to enjoy
and offer an alternative route between the
centre and Hanworth Air Park. The naturalistic
character of the river corridor should be
retained.
It is important as part of this project to provide
seating along the path to offer opportunities
for people to rest and enjoy the scenery. This
will enhance the amenity value of this route,
in particular for older residents or parents and
their children. Seats could be sponsored.
The river currently runs to the back of
development and opportunities should be
sought to open up additional access routes
FELTHAM - VISION AND CONCEPT MASTERPLAN FINAL REPORT
Potential to provide benches along the Longford
River walking and cycling route
to the river path where possible, in particular
from Leisure West.
Where new development is brought forward
adjacent to the river it should maximise the
opportunity to provide overlooking and to
generate activity along the path.
There is an opportunity to provide a small
new public space on the river adjacent the
Hounslow Road Bridge next to St Catherine’s
Church.
Precedent for new leisure square: public space
Milton Keynes Central
9: LEISURE WEST PUBLIC SPACE
There is an opportunity to create an new public
space in the heart of the proposed Leisure
West development.
Option A: As part of the transformation of
Leisure West into an urban leisure hub this
could be a central pedestrianised plaza as the
focus of the leisure, cafe and restaurant offer.
As a high quality piece of public realm it would
need to provide formal and informal seating,
feature lighting and would benefit from public
art. The space would need to connect with
the Longford River walk, where a small public
space could be created;
Option B: A new green space in the heart of
the new residential quarter could be developed
to provide residential amenities and help to
create a distinct place. The space would need
to be of sufficient size to provide a local play
space (LEAP). Achieving good connections
with the river corridor would be important.
75

4.8 EARLY WIN / MEANWHILE USES
The Feltham Vision and Concept Masterplan
sets out a potential high-level strategy for
the long-term evolution of Feltham town
centre. However, there are opportunities to
implement some of the concept ideas and
test the feasibility of some of the development
principles in the short-term. This could be
achieved through low-cost or small-scale
solutions, possibly funded through successful
funding bids to public agencies like the GLA,
TfL or Heritage Lottery Fund.
Small scale, stand-alone ideas for public
realm improvements are one example of
projects with the potential to access such
funding streams. Alternatively some of the
ideas contained within the Feltham Vision and
Concept Masterplan may be able to take place
in the short term in a less formal manner and
numerous locations across the town centre,
without the need for a renovated or new
building, or even a specific site. For example
occasional markets or events can take place
at relatively short notice, whilst temporary
outdoor cinema could take place at different
locations over time. Projects of this nature can
help to set in motion long term change and
provide on-going benefits for Feltham town
centre.
There is also potential to make other town
centre wide public realm improvements, such
as removal of unnecessary guard railings and
street clutter, provision of a coherent set of
new street furniture and lighting, provision
of town centre signage or public art. Such
enhancements could occur on an incremental
basis, as replacements are required.
Other town centre wide improvements could
take place on a similar basis, and might include
cosmetic enhancements to shopfronts and
other buildings of townscape importance,
lighting projects to emphasise special town
centre features, such as St Catherine’s Spire,
Feltham Railway Station, the trees in the High
Street or Feltham Green. Comprehensive
public realm improvements including relaying
of kerbs and resurfacing of pavements could
take place as part of typical highway or parks
upgrades and maintenance.
Specific projects could include:
1 Events on Feltham Green, potentially as part
of the wider Feltham Festival programme;
2 Improved playground facilities at Feltham
Green;
3 New distinctive, Feltham-specific signage
and way finding for pedestrians and cyclists,
particularly between key places such as
green open spaces at Feltham Parklands
and Hanworth Park, the Longford River,
playgrounds, lower Feltham, and historical
sites;
4 Shop-front improvements along the High
Street to enhance the town centre image;
5 Promotion of a regular Feltham Market to
enrich the town centre offer, provide a new
attraction and offer local people an easy
way into the market place to offer home
made produce or arts and crafts. Beside the
typical grocery and household goods offer
the market could include food stalls, local
produce, clothing, specialist retail for local
ethnical groups, etc.
6 The use of vacant or under-used spaces
for community uses – this may be an
opportunity to test the impact of new civic/
community spaces on the High Street or
Feltham Green;
7 Further research into potential uses for
the vacant Feltham Station building on
Hounslow Road, possibly as part of a wider
events or public engagement programme
around the station;
8 Public realm improvements at Victoria
Road, possibly starting with the eastern and
western extremities to begin to facilitate
better access from the industrial area into
the town centre;
9 Enhancement to the Feltham Parklands
to provide better access, offer greater
variety of facilities, promote greater
physical activities by local people and offer
opportunity for active involvement and stake
by community. This could include:
a) revitalising the running track as focus for
outdoor running and fitness activities;
b) provision of a community garden or
allotment project run by the community;
c) providing a new pedestrian bridge to
better link Feltham Arena with the Blenheim
Playing Fields;
d) removal of redundant fences between
the river path and the Feltham Arena site
e) use of the Parklands for festivals and
open air cinema; and
f) provision of a central hub space with a
cafe and integrated changing facilities to
provide a local base for community sports
and fitness clubs.
76
FIGURE 26. Potential Early Win Projects
(Numbers refer to the text above)

9c
9f
9b
9a
9d
9e
3
3
3
3
7
3
6
4
5
3
3
1
2
8
3
6
FELTHAM - VISION AND CONCEPT MASTERPLAN FINAL REPORT
3
77

05 THE ILLUSTRATIVE MASTERPLAN
5.1 PLAN DEVELOPMENT
An illustrative masterplan for the Feltham area
has been prepared in order to indicate one way
in which the conceptual ideas this document
contains could be brought forward. This is
illustrated on the pages that follow.
The masterplan indicates a broad structure
for development in the town but provides
flexibility in the detailed arrangement and
sub-division of sites.
The basis for the illustrative masterplan is
Option A, which assumes the transformation
of the Leisure West site into an urban Leisure
Hub.
The illustrative masterplan is based on a set
of working assumptions, that consider the
pattern of ownerships and the property market
and associated values, and makes a reasonable
prediction on what types of development
could provide viable development propositions.
This is grounded in a good sense of realism,
however, no detailed site examination or
development appraisals have been undertaken
to support or verify the proposals in detail at
this stage.
The concept masterplan does not in itself carry
statutory weight, and the Hounslow Local
Plan 2015 will remain the statutory basis for
planning decision in Feltham and its environs.
5.2 DEVELOPMENT CAPACITY
Based on the illustrative masterplan indicative
site development capacities have been
established to indicate the potential scale of
development in Feltham.
Based on these estimates Feltham town
centre has the potential to accommodate the
following in the future:
••
Approximately 2,675 additional homes, of
which 2,515 are apartments and 160 town
houses,
••
780 student homes;
••
6,850 sqm retail floor area throughout
Feltham centre;
••
8,500 sqm leisure and food and drink floor
space in the Leisure West area; and
••
4,000 sqm of other non-residential floor
space, such as for community infrastructure
and incubator type or ICT focussed office
space and small workshops.
Furthermore the masterplan can deliver
improvements to the public transport
interchange, a new railway crossing, enhanced
public realm and improved junctions, enhanced
local green spaces, parks and public spaces,
a radically transformed image and a stronger
sense of place.
5.3 POTENTIAL PHASING
Feltham is likely to evolve rather than
transform overnight and it is important to plan
for this to ensure development is coherent and
compliments the town centre as a whole.
An indicative phasing sequence for the
development of the illustrative masterplan has
been prepared to illustrate how the area could
develop over time. This has taken account of
a broad understanding of land ownerships,
the likely feasibility of development and other
programmes and pipeline initiatives.
Phasing aims to generate a catalytic impact
from development and to enhance values
as Feltham improves, so as to generate a
momentum of change and continue to attract
investment.
Ideas have been presented in accordance with
three indicative time lines:
••
Phase 1: 2015 -2019
••
Phase 2: 2020-2025
••
Phase 3: 2026+
Phasing is illustrated on the following pages.
78

FIGURE 27. Illustrative
Masterplan - Phase 1
5.4 PHASE 1 : 2015 -2019
The first phase focuses development on
land that is either in council ownership or on
already identified development sites, as it is
assumed that these sites could be brought
forward relatively quickly. It also includes
projects that are likely to be delivered as
part of the infrastructure improvements to
mitigate the closure of the railway crossing
and other priority projects such as the Feltham
Parklands.
Phase 1 has the potential to include the
following projects and deliver the following
outputs:
••
290 apartments and 30 houses;
••
2,650 sqm new ground floor retail,
commercial and community uses;
••
550 student homes;
••
An enhanced public realm throughout the
centre;
••
An enhanced station square;
••
A new pedestrian railway bridge;
••
Enhanced Feltham Parklands;
••
Enhanced Feltham Green; and
••
Enhanced Crendon Court Gardens.
FELTHAM - VISION AND CONCEPT MASTERPLAN FINAL REPORT
79

5.5 PHASE 2: 2020 - 2025
Phase 2 includes sites that are more
challenging to deliver. Currently they may be in
productive use, third party ownership, require
land assembly or are not viable at present. A
second round of more peripheral public realm
and open space improvements is included in
phase 2.
Phase 2 has the potential to include the
following projects and deliver the following
outputs:
••
900 apartments and 60 houses;
••
5,000 sqm new ground floor retail,
commercial and community uses;
••
Transformation of Leisure West into an
Urban Leisure Hub with 8,500 sqm new
leisure, food and drink uses in Leisure West
and 900 space multi-storey car park and
up to 600 apartments (included in the total
above) on upper floors;
••
Development of a new St Lawrence RC
Primary School with increased capacity;
••
Mixed use development overlooking
Feltham Green;
••
230 student homes;
••
Enhanced public realm throughout Leisure
West; and
••
Enhanced Southern High Street.
FIGURE 28.
Illustrative Masterplan - Phase 2
80

5.6 PHASE 3: 2026 +
Phase 3 development is longer term and
focuses on rather complex sites that require
land assembly, cooperation between different
development parties and higher development
values to support development.
Phase 3 has the potential to include the
following projects and deliver the following
outputs:
••
1,325 apartments and 70 houses;
••
3,200 sqm new ground floor retail,
commercial and community uses;
••
Development of a new Victoria Junior
School with increased capacity together
with a new residential block and a more
direct connection with Cardinal Road; and
••
Consolidation of development to the north
of the Station.
FIGURE 29.
Illustrative Masterplan - Phase 3
Inset plan: There is a longer term potential for higher
density residential development on Station Estate
Road and Manor Place that could be considered by
the land owners (travelling show people)
81

82

06 ENGAGEMENT
6.1 FIRST STAKEHOLDER EVENT
An initial stakeholder engagement event
was held on 9 December 2014, at which the
initial analysis that has informed the Vision
and Concept Masterplan was discussed by
a mix of residents, local businesses, utilities
and infrastructure providers and Council
officers. Responses and suggestion were
taken in consideration by the consultants when
preparing the Vision and Concept Masterplan.
Attendees in a round table session discussed a
number of questions. Below is a summary of
the recorded responses.
Q1: What are the biggest issues that
Feltham currently faces?
Comments/Concerns:
••
Traffic Congestion in the centre;
••
Poor pedestrian connections with the
centre, particular from Leisure West and the
station;
••
Green spaces difficult to find and lack of
facilities;
••
Lack of provision for young people;
••
Lack of centre of gravity in the town centre
and sense of identity;
••
Perception of higher crime than reality and
affecting image;
••
Lack of affordable public places for
community events; and
••
Lack of eating out offer;
Q2: What is the role of Feltham town
centre? How can we enhance its identity?
What is special and distinctive about
Feltham?
••
Feltham is a local centre and place for the
community, a place for events and going
out;
••
Benefits from a positive and settled
community;
••
Enhance Feltham as a ‘Family Town’;
••
Feltham is a work place and links to
employment areas should be enhanced;
••
Need for a coherent vision;
••
Amount of green spaces seen as asset for
Feltham, but they require enhancement of
access, quality and maintenance;
••
Feltham should have a more sociable and
animated night time economy and be
promoted as leisure hub;
••
Reflect on Feltham’s History and enhance
Feltham’s Heritage, including the Green and
the War Memorial;
••
Feltham Freen and Feltham Arena
mentioned as important for town’s identity;
••
Southern High Street feels outside of
Feltham Centre;
FELTHAM - VISION AND CONCEPT MASTERPLAN FINAL REPORT
83

Q3: Site-specific discussions:
A. Refocusing the High Street
••
Bottlenecks and congestion on the High
Street – notably on junction with Browells
Lane and Hanworth Road;
••
Closure of level crossing will make town
centre more inaccessible;
••
Conflict at the end of bus lanes, where they
rejoin the carriage way need resolution;
••
Support for wider footways, introduction of
street market and sitting outside cafés;
••
Support for better access and opening of
views into Feltham Green, but keep the
trees and the memorial;
••
Support for restaurants overlooking the
Green;
••
Many schools in the town centre, volume
of and facilities for school children to be
considered, safety concerns with traffic on
High Street;
••
Good shopping offer but lack of investment
into open spaces when compared to
Hounslow (Bell Square);
••
Signage needed – clarity over existing
signage as centre can be a hotchpotch;
••
B. The Station Environment - create an
attractive arrival experience.
••
Concern about the north south divide
caused by the railway crossing closure.
A bridge or underpass needs to take into
account the needs of the elderly, disabled
and those will health issues. It should also
be well lit;
••
Widen pavement over railway bridge on
Hounslow Road;
••
Improve connections with Feltham Arena
from the station;
••
Enhance legibility at the station, create an
‘entrance’ to the Town Centre;
••
Bus interchange would be better on town
centre side;
••
Regenerate the pond at the upper end of
the High Street;
C. Leisure West - Feltham Leisure Hub
••
Need to better integrate Leisure West with
the town centre;
••
People do not realise the proximity of the
two places;
••
Leisure West is difficult to find from
Feltham Centre;
••
Support for an urban leisure hub with a mix
of uses, residential, cafes and restaurants;
••
Car park is well used and is frequently full
(especially in the evenings)
••
Multi-storey car park solution could release
a lot of space;
••
More development at Leisure West may
exacerbate existing pressures at junctions
••
The only cinema in the region showing
Bollywood films;
••
Open links with Longford River and connect
to the station;
••
Improvements to Victoria Road (potential
pedestrianisation and improved lightning);
••
Name Leisure West is misleading – a
rebranding would help – that could use
‘Feltham’ in the title;
••
Could make more of the history of the
place, the ‘propeller’ sculpture is out of the
way (in the wrong place);
••
Better quality food options such as Pizza
Express could be explored;
••
Possibility of an ice rink could be explored;
84

D. Feltham Arena
••
Re-establish sporting facilities at Feltham
Green;
••
Suggestions for the park included:
--
open air swimming pool;
--
open air theatre;
--
more football pitches;
--
Walking and cycling routes, nature trails;
--
Wild flower meadows;
••
Felt as ‘bare, could increase tree planting/
cover, but strike balance with security;
••
Support and objections on the question if
housing should be encouraged on the park
to support overlooking;
••
Join the spaces together including Feltham
Park and improve links with Blenheim Park
with more bridges across Longford River;
••
Need to engage with Feltham Arena Users
Residents Group as they have plans of their
own for the park;
••
Need to improve links with station;
••
Enhancement of the running track, to be
used by local runners, and for school’s finals;
••
Need for localised hub in the park;
••
Look at historic names for rebranding e.g.
‘Glebelands’;
••
Feltham Arena are not anticipated to be
again a stadium, but it should be brought
back into public use;
E. Open up Longford River
••
Improve and open up route to Hanworth
Park from the town centre;
••
Open up the enclosed sections within
Hanworth Air Park;
••
Existing trail not attractive and therefore
people do not use it;
••
Leisure West to link to the Longford River;
••
It should be perceived as a public space -
owned by the Council;
••
New development should be overlooking
the river;
F. Enhance the Southern High Street
••
No sense of integration with the town
centre;
••
Enhance pedestrian and cycling facilities;
••
Suggestion to provide on-street parking;
••
Suggestion to enhance shop fronts and
develop new frontages;
••
Support for making this a tree-lined
boulevard;
••
Concern that narrowing the carriageway
might impact upon traffic flows, as this is an
important through route;
Q4: Are there any other topics or areas
that the masterplan should look at?
••
Development opportunities;
••
Marketing and branding:
Q5: What early win projects should the
Council focus on?
••
Junction improvements;
••
Public realm improvements;
••
Enhancement to the station bridge;
••
A temporary use strategy;
••
More events in the town centre;
••
A website for Feltham;
••
Smarten up some building frontages;
FELTHAM - VISION AND CONCEPT MASTERPLAN FINAL REPORT
85

6.2 SECOND STAKEHOLDER EVENT
The second Feltham Stakeholder Engagement
Event was held at Feltham Library on 12
February 2015. The primary purpose of the
event was to introduce the vision, ‘concept
masterplan’ and initial project ideas that
Urban Initiative Studio had evolved partially in
response to the feedback from the December
2014 Stakeholder Engagement Event. An initial
presentation by Mathieu Proctor, Principal
Urban Design Officer at LB Hounslow,
was followed by group discussions where
attendees discussed the vision and ideas
presented, suggesting alternative ideas where
appropriate.
The event was attended by 34 stakeholders,
with invitees drawn from a variety of groups,
and included residents, local businesses,
community groups, infrastructure providers,
Council officers, landowners and educational
institutions.
Key issues emerging from the second Feltham
Stakeholder Engagement Event:
The group workshops on the initial vision
and ‘concept masterplan’ provided some
useful commentary that have helped inform
the Feltham Vision and Concept Masterplan.
These included:
••
Real need for a better linkages between The
Centre and Leisure West;
••
High degree of car dominance within
Feltham town centre;
••
Desire for investment in the High Street
to create places to dwell and meet with
an improved food and drink and evening
economy offer;
••
Pride in Feltham’s green spaces with
support for the creation and maintenance of
green corridors, including considering new
housing and facilities with the potential to
enhance the setting and maintenance of
existing parks; and
••
Feltham Station is an asset that should
be improved with an improved entrance
experience and better legibility between the
station and the town centre.

FELTHAM - VISION AND CONCEPT MASTERPLAN FINAL REPORT
6.3 PUBLIC EXHIBITION
An exhibition of the analysis of Feltham town
centre, draft vision and concept masterplan was
held at Feltham Library from Friday 13 February
2015 until Tuesday 3 March 2015. The purpose
of the exhibition was to provide local people and
interested parties with the opportunity to view and
comment upon the vision and initial project ideas
suggested for inclusion in the Feltham Vision and
Concept Masterplan. Questionnaires were made
available for people to feedback their comments.
The public engagement exercise was relatively
successful, with 184 completed questionnaires
received via email and deposited at Feltham
Library. This section provides a brief outline of
the questionnaire results and a selection of the
comments received.
An additional 24 emails and 4 letters were
received during the public engagement
process. These did not contain completed
questionnaires, but did provide useful feedback
on a range of topics, including the future
of Feltham’s open spaces, the provision of
space for small businesses, the likely size and
tenure mix of future town centre residential
development, and the importance of Feltham’s
industrial and cultural heritage to its future
evolution. The project team also held 12 1-2-1
meetings with local stakeholders throughout
early 2015, with discussions again informing
the final Vision and Concept Masterplan.
These included meetings with representatives
of businesses along Browells Lane, the Centre
at Feltham, LB Hounslow’s Schools team,
St. Lawrence’s RC Primary, Leisure West,
the Riverside Vineyard Church, Network Rail,
the Feltham Phoenix Project, and the LB
Hounslow Health and Wellbeing team.
IntroductIon
Feltham
vIsIon and concept
masterplan
london BorouGh oF hounsloW
1
1. Rivers Academy West London
2. Bedfont Lakes
3. Feltham Young Offenders
Institution
4. Grosvenor Park
5. Blenheim Park
6. Feltham Arena
7. Longford River
8. The Centre, Feltham
9. Feltham Green
10. St Dunstans Church
11. MOD Estate
12. Lower Feltham Brook
13. Feltham Park
14. Feltham Station
15. St Catherines Church
16. Leisure West
17. River Crane
18. Leitrim Park
19. Feltham Community College
20. Hanworth Air Park Leisure
Centre
21. Hanworth Park
22. Reach Academy
locatIon plan
BackGround
The Council has commenced the process of developing a vision and
framework for the future development of Feltham. This consultation is
aimed at sharing our current thinking on the vision and inviting comments
and suggestions from the wider public.
What has happened so Far?
In November 2014 London Borough of Hounslow commissioned specialist
urban design and masterplanning consultants Urban Initiatives Studio to
prepare a Vision and Concept Masterplan for Feltham.
The Concept Masterplan has been prepared through an iterative process
working closely with the council project team and senior officers. One
stakeholder workshop has been held in December 2014 to help shape
ideas and following this workshop a series of focused meetings were held
with key community groups, service providers and land owners. A second
stakeholder workshop will be held coinciding with the launch of the public
exhibition, which will run from 13 February-2 March 2015.
tell us What you thInk
We want your views on the plans which have been prepared.
Please take your time to review the ideas set out here, visit our website
where you can download these boards to study at your leisure http://
www.hounslow.gov.uk/index/environment_and_planning/conservation.htm
Please complete the questionnaire and leave it in the comments
box. Alternatively write to spp@hounslow.gov.uk. We will need to
receive your comments by 3rd March to be considered.
Feltham is one of four town centres in the London
Borough of Hounslow. As a district centre it serves its
largely sub-urban hinterland of Feltham North, Feltham
Village, East Bedfont and Hanworth. Feltham benefits
from its strategic location close to Heathrow and on the
train line into Central London.
Feltham today has a predominantly low rise residential
character, with large areas devoted to employment
uses on the peripheries of the town centre. Feltham
town centre is a powerful regional magnet for
employment, retail and leisure. Feltham is also one of
the greenest areas in Greater London, surrounded by
parks, semi-rural lands and large recreation spaces, and
bisected by the Longford River. There are a number
of listed buildings within Feltham, including Hanworth
Park House, and much of the east of the town centre is
within a conservation area.
However, despite these undoubted assets Feltham has
many of the physical and environmental issues typical of
towns that developed in the post-war era, and continues
to be a major focus for regeneration for the London
Borough of Hounslow and London as a whole.
the masterplan area
The purpose of this masterplan is to set out a high-level vision and
spatial concept for Feltham town centre, that will comprehensively guide
development and enhancement of the centre.
This Vision and Concept Masterplan focuses on Feltham town centre and
its immediate hinterland.
It includes The Centre, the area around Feltham Railway
Station, the open spaces to the northwest of the centre
including the Feltham Arena site, the Leisure West
development, areas along the High Street to the south
of the centre, the MOD estate, the industrial area to the
southeast and Hanworth Park.
The Feltham Vision and Concept Master Plan will not
be a statutory document in its own right, but it will form
part of the evidence base for the West of the Borough
Plan (WOBP). The WOBP will be prepared following
the adoption of the Hounslow Local Plan; and will be
a Development Plan Document (DPD) with statutory
weight. An initial issues and options consultation on the
West of the Borough Plan is planned for Summer 2015.
What happens next?
We will review all of the comments that we receive and these will help to
shape the final Vision and Concept Masterplan.
1
3
2
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
22
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
(c) The GeoInformation Group, Map Data, (c) 2015 Google
the spatIal concept
Feltham
vIsIon and concept
masterplan
london BorouGh oF hounsloW
4
a
B
c
d
e
F
1 2
4
4
6
7
8
9
12
5
5
5
5
3
spatIal concept dIaGram
The vision is translated into the
Feltham Spatial Concept Diagram,
spatIal concept dIaGram - optIon a
spatIal concept dIaGram - optIon B
Quarters
The Spatial Concept identifies the
following sub-areas within Feltham
town centre which should be
enhanced:
A: Feltham Town Centre;
B: Feltham Station Gateway;
C: Leisure West;
D: Feltham Community Park;
E: Southern Fringe; and
F: Feltham Industrial Area and
MOD estate.
which sets out the main spatial and
structuring features of the town
centre and how they hang together
to form a coherent place.
key connectIons
The Spatial Concept identifies
important walking and cycling
connections with the town centre,
which need to be established or
enhanced.
1) High Street
2) Victoria Road
3) Railway Cross
4) Longford River
5) Town Centre Approaches
Routes need to be direct, well
enclosed and overlooked and
provide a high quality public realm.
key spaces
Seven important public spaces
have been identified, which will be
enhanced to provide a quality and
diverse open space provision for
the community in Feltham.
6) The High Street Plaza
7) The Station Square
8) Leisure West Central Space
9) Feltham Green
10) Crendon Court Gardens
11) Feltham Community Park
12) Hanworth Park
optIons
Two options are currently considered by the
Spatial Concept Plan in regards to the future
concentration of leisure uses in the town centre
and the role of Leisure West.
Option A: To transform Leisure West into an
urban leisure hub focused around a new public
space.
Option B: To establish a new leisure focus on the
High Street next to Feltham Green and to develop
the Leisure West site for residential use.
a
B
c
e
1 2
4
6
7
8
9
5
3
a vIsIon For Feltham
Feltham
vIsIon and concept
masterplan
london BorouGh oF hounsloW
3
We would like to enhance
Feltham’s image and make it the
source of local pride.
We would like to enhance
Feltham as an attractive place
to live and work.
We would like to make Feltham
a place that is easy accessible
by foot, on bicycles, by public
transport and the private car
through a balanced approach
towards sharing the available
public realm.
We would like to have an
inclusive, well used and
attractive open space that
contribute to a strong sense of
place and supports healthy and
active lifestyles.
our vIsIon Is to enhance Feltham as ...
We would like to strengthen
Feltham’s role as a place for the
community.
the heart oF the
communIty
a place WIth a
stronG IdentIty
a Great place
to lIve and Work
an accessIBle
place
a place WIth
FantastIc open spaces
A place for the people of Feltham to meet and
•
socialise;
A convenient place to do your shopping and
•
access local services;
A place that invites you to stay longer, have a
•
coffee, sit out and enjoy public life;
A place with something to do in the evening and
•
the weekend, with a diverse leisure offer, more
quality places to eat and drink;
A place for families with children, with safe
•
streets, attractive play facilities, excellent schools,
and safe walking access from surrounding
neighbourhoods;
A place with inclusive open spaces that are
•
welcoming to all and with a wide range of
amenities and facilities;
A place that enables and supports local people
•
in the running and participating in community
activities, events, festivals, support and self-help
activities, pop-up shops and other meanwhile
uses; and
A place for bottom-up initiatives, that enables and
•
supports local people and businesses to take their
part in shaping Feltham’s future.
To overcome the stigma of the Feltham’s
•
Young Offenders Institution by making Feltham
the source of positive news stories about the
community life, events and development in
Feltham;
To revive, tell and celebrate the special history
•
of Feltham as a place where air planes, cars and
trams were built and which continues today as a
varied and exciting location for employment;
To provide a focus for the remembrance of
•
Feltham’s most famous resident Freddie Mercury
for local people and visitors;
To enhance historic buildings and spaces and
•
their setting;
To promote new development that is responsive
•
to its context and of high quality design and
architecture;
To enhance existing and create new quality public
•
spaces as the focus for public life and source of
pride;
To establish an attractive station gateway that
•
celebrates the arrival into Feltham; and
To create legible spaces that make it easy find
•
your way and move around into the centre and its
open spaces.
To provide a variety of housing types that suit the
•
changing needs of Feltham’s existing and new
population and supports life-long living within a
neighbourhood - allowing the ‘stepping up and
down’ as circumstance change;
To provide an affordable location for Hounslow
•
residents;
To create an attractive environment with safe
•
streets and access to quality public spaces;
To provide quality public facilities and services,
•
including excellent schools, health care and a well
managed and maintained environment;
To enhance access to Feltham town centre and
•
its facilities from surrounding neighbourhoods and
employment areas;
To promote the growth of incubator, higher
•
intensity and service sector business
opportunities within Feltham town centre;
To enhance access to existing employment in the
•
area, the Borough, at Heathrow and the wider
London area, and
To create better connections and foster integration
•
of North Feltham, East Bedfont, Hanworth and
Lower Feltham with the town centre; and
To explore the potential to attract a higher
•
education use into Feltham and to make it a focus
for learning and student life.
To create an attractive and convenient public
•
transport interchange at the railway station with
direct walking access between the station, bus
stops and the residential hinterland;
To provide safe junctions with pedestrian facilities
•
on all arms throughout the town centre;
To provide well designed streets that offer a good
•
pedestrian and cycling environment and a quality
public realm;
To find a high quality solution to bridging the
•
railway (in response to the closure of the
level-crossing at Bedfont Lane) that is convenient
to pedestrian and cyclist, creates an attractive
public space and contributes to the image of
Feltham town centre;
To establish a connected network of strategic
•
cycle and walking routes linking surrounding
neighbourhoods, employment areas and open
spaces with each other and across the town
centre;
To enhance bus service provision through the
•
town centre and passing the railway station;
To adequately respond to junction capacity issues
•
and the bottleneck at the station on Hounslow
Road and the High Street; and
To promote a more efficient and shared use
•
of parking resources in the town centre, that
encourages trip combination and prioritises
multi-storey car parks over surface car parks.
To transform Feltham Arena (and associated
•
open spaces) and Hanworth Park into attractive,
well managed and safe community parks, which
offer a variety of amenity spaces together with
recreational and sporting facilities for local
residents, workers and visitors;
To create a series of new public spaces in the
•
town centre as focal points for civic life and the
stage for community activities, such as events,
markets and festivals;
To make greater use of Feltham Green and the
•
green space at Crendon Court as welcoming
breathing spaces in the town centre;
To establish a network of open spaces that are
•
well connected by attractive green walking and
cycling routes and easy to find and access;
To offer sports and leisure facilities that
•
encourage and broaden the participation of the
community in physical outdoor activities and help
enhance public health; and
To provide open spaces that can be used and
•
managed by the community for gardening,
horticulture and local farming projects.
InItIal Ideas...
Feltham
vIsIon and concept
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london BorouGh oF hounsloW
5
Artist Illustration of high street with pedestrian focus
Stratford Station, Precedent of wide pedestrian bridge
Jardin Luxembourg Paris, Precedent for seating
around Feltham Green
Potential for regular market stalls in the Centre Plaza
Precedent for Feltham Green, Kings Road - seating overlooking public space
Artist Illustration of a landmark building
a: Feltham toWn centre
To strengthen the town centre as
•
the heart of Feltham and a place
for shopping, service provision
and leisure;
To re-introduce a double-sided
•
high street; and
To expand the town centre to the
•
East.
B: Feltham statIon
GateWay
To develop a welcoming station
•
gateway into Feltham
To enhance the public realm
•
with wider footways and cycle
facilities throughout; and
To establish an improved
•
interchange with the buses.
c: leIsure West
To transform Leisure West into an
•
integral part of the town centre.
optIon a:
To enhance the connection with
•
the town centre;
To transform the Leisure West site
•
into an urban leisure hub with a
central open space as the focus
for leisure, eat and drink uses; and
To complement with residential
•
and other uses in the upper floors.
Initial ideas for the Town Centre
include:
To re-introduce a double sided high
•
street and promote new development
on the eastern side with active
ground floor uses including cafes and
restaurants that will animate the street
space;
Redefining the High Street to provide
•
more space for pedestrian, better
crossing points, and enhanced public
transport and cycling facilities;
Explore the opportunity to enhance the
•
public space at the entrance to ‘The
Centre’ and to open up the shopping
area more to the High Street;
Create a wider pavement on the west
•
side of the High Street to encourage
the establishment of cafes with sitting
out terraces and to provide a space for
regular street and specialist markets;
Better integrate Feltham Green with
•
the town centre by enhancing the
visual and physical linkages with the
street, provide improved facilities in
the green, animate its northern edge
with cafes and restaurants uses, and
promote the space for local events and
festivals to celebrate Feltham;
Improve the public realm along Victoria
•
Road and establish a quality walking
route between the High Street and
Leisure West that is inviting and feels
safe in particular after hours and in the
weekend;
Promote the growth of the town centre
•
towards the east along Victoria Road
and around Feltham Green up to Mono
Lane with mixed use development
that establishes a permeable block
structure, a lively street scene and
better connections with Leisure West,
the River and Feltham Green; and
There is an option to promote a cluster
•
of leisure and cultural uses right
at the High Street next to Feltham
Green, rather than reinforcing their
current location at Leisure West (see
C: Leisure West). This could include
a multiplex cinema, a gym and other
cultural facilities. It would support and
attract a greater eat and drink offer in
the town centre and help reinforce the
role of the High Street as the centre of
gravity of Feltham.
Initial ideas for the Station Gateway
include:
Integrating the station with new
•
development that offers a mix of uses,
potentially including apartments and
student housing in the upper floors and
commercial and retail units at ground
floors;
Creation of a high-quality public space
•
at the southern station entrance that
forms an attractive arrival square for
visitors and commuters arriving in
Feltham from London. The historic
station entrance on Hounslow Road is
revived with a cafe or other active use,
and views to St Catherine’s Church
spire are celebrated;
Opportunity for a landmark building
•
to the north at the intersection of
Hounslow Road and New Road to
mark the northern entrance into the
town centre;
Building of wide pedestrian and cycle
•
bridge across the railway in place of
the planned closed level crossing at
Bedfont Lane. Like a land bridge the
bridge should be a natural extension
of the public realm and provide
connectivity between Bedfont Lane,
the Centre (bridge) and Feltham
Community Park;
Provision of an enhanced public
•
transport interchange that streamlines
bus services and provides quality and
direct walking routes between bus
stops and the station, where they
can provide footfall for new frontage
development with retail uses; and
The provision of pedestrian walkways
•
along an enhanced Hounslow Road
at the bridges over the railway and
Longford River.
optIon B:
To create a new leisure hub in the
•
heart of the Town Centre next to
Feltham Green including shops,
eat and drink uses and residential
and other uses in the upper
floors; and
To develop the Leisure West site
•
for residential use.
Initial ideas for Option B include:
Relocating the St Lawrence RC Primary School
•
to a suitable site, potentially in Hanworth Park;
Redevelopment of the lands between Victoria
•
Road and Feltham Green with a mixed use
development;
This could include a compact new cinema, a
•
bowling facility and other leisure and cultural
uses. It will attract food and drink uses that
would also benefit from regular town centre
footfall.
The leisure use will benefit from direct public
•
transport access in the centre and parking could
be offered in the existing town centre car park
(‘The Centre’) or in a new multi-storey car park.
Other shopping uses could complement the
•
centre to enhance its viability.
Leisure West could be developed as an attractive
•
residential quarter with a mix of housing and
overlooking the Longford River.
Initial ideas for Option A include:
Enhance the public realm along Victoria Road
•
to make it a quality and safe walking route
between Leisure West and the Centre;
Building of a multi-storey car park to free up
•
sites for new development;
New development to focus around a new public
•
space where cafe and restaurant and other
leisure facilities could be located, with residential
and other uses above.
Care has to be taken that the mix of new uses
•
complements rather than detracts from the
town centre offer.
Brighton Station, Precedent for new station square
Artist Illustration of Leisure Development
Public space Milton Keynes Central, precedent for new leisure square
Precedent for public space that invites for sitting out
Westgate Leisure Park Aldershot, precedent for contemporary leisure development
(c) insidelondon2012
context
Feltham
vIsIon and concept
masterplan
london BorouGh oF hounsloW
2
open spaces and streets
hIstory
Feltham was documented as an established Parish in the Domesday
Survey following the Norman Conquest. It remained a village over
centuries until it grew from the mid of the 19th century with the arrival of
the railways into the centre of suburban housing development.
land uses
In the wider context much of
Feltham is dominated by suburban
housing, opens spaces and areas
devoted to employment uses in the
form of trading estates. Feltham
Town Centre is the main retail
and service centre for Feltham
and its satellites East Bedfont
and Hanworth and offers a mix
of shops and facilities including a
cinema. However, Feltham town
centre lacks a diverse food and
drink offer that could contribute to
a lively evening economy.
St Catherine’s Church is a prominent landmark
Victorian Houses overlooking Feltham Green provide
a sense of history
challenGes
Image
• - affected by Feltham Young Offenders Institution;
Public Realm
• - car dominated and poor quality environment;
Open spaces
• - lack differentiation and interest, and are underused;
Road network
• - congestion and bottleneck at the station;
Pedestrian routes
• - key junctions lack pedestrian crossings facilities,
pedestrian environment is often poor quality and can feel unsafe;
Station
• - poor arrival experience, does not guide into the centre;
Railway crossing
• - closure of level-crossing will affect access into the
town centre from the East;
Diversity
• - value focused shops with little diversity, lack of eat and drink
offer and a small evening economy;
Leisure West
• - drive-in centre that lacks integration with the town
centre; and
Housing
• - weak investment in new housing since the building of the
residential units as part of shopping centre (2006).
opportunItIes
Town Centre
• - build on the success of the town centre and broaden its retail
mix with informal mid market dining and cafes;
Open space
• - enhance access, raise the quality of open spaces and
differentiate the offer for the community;
Housing
• - develop new housing on town centre sites to broaden the residential
offer, focusing on young professionals and families;
Quality of the environment
• - Raise quality of the public realm and
development and enhance image to attract residents, businesses and visitors;
Leisure hub
• - create an urban leisure experience integrated with the town
centre;
Station gateway
• - create a welcoming arrival experience and directly connects
with the town centre and the bus interchange;
Infrastructure investment
• - use investment into infrastructure around station
to enhance Feltham and its image, and act as catalyst for regeneration; and
Access
• - improve cycle and walking access from surrounding communities.
Active shop frontages at the Centre
The blank side of the Lidl Supermarket does not
establish an overlooked and safe street
Existing Land Uses Diagram
Frontages, Streets and Open Space Diagram
Feltham Arena running track remains under-used
Inadequate narrow footways on Victoria Road
Feltham benefits from access to a number of large open
spaces within close proximity including Blenheim Park,
Feltham Arena, Feltham Park and Grosvenor Park. With
their open grass land and sports pitches they offer little
differentiation and amenities. Often they are difficult to
access and hidden away behind properties, and can feel
unsafe.
There is one principal public space as part of the
shopping centre, but this is small and lacks a civic
character. The two historic green spaces, Feltham Green
and Crendon Court Gardens, are both underused and do
not feel part of the town centre. Longford River passes
through the town centre but it currently is inaccessible for
long stretches.
Streets surrounding the town centre are often poorly
defined and lack active building frontages (blue hatch).
These areas are less attractive for pedestrian and can feel
unsafe. This particularly problematic around the station.
which should act a welcoming gateway into the town
centre.
Feltham formed an ancient parish in the Spelthorne
Hundred of Middlesex, centred on St Dunstan’s Church.
The railway came to Feltham in 1848, encouraging the
village to expand northwards to form the High Street.
During the 20th century light industry replaced market
gardens, and large housing estates were built to the west
of Feltham. The High Street gradually lost its small scale
shops, with a 1960s shopping centre in turn replaced
by a much larger scale mixed development during the
2000s.
Feltham’s land uses include:
Shopping centre (‘The Centre’);
•
Railway station;
•
Four supermarkets (Tesco, Asda, Lidl and Aldi);
•
Local shops along the main streets;
•
Leisure West with a Cineworld, Ten Pin Bowling and
•
Gala Bingo;
The MOD estate and other employment use to the
•
Southeast of centre;
A concentration of primary schools to the east of the
•
centre, the Feltham Community college, the New
Reach Academy Feltham; and
Hanworth Airpark Leisure Centre.
•
Feltham Town Centre benefits
from a green environment and a
number of open spaces, which are
largely underused and should be
enhanced to maximise their value
for the community. The street
environment around the town
centre and the arrival experience
into Feltham is poor and requires
improvement.
... InItIal Ideas
Feltham
vIsIon and concept
masterplan
london BorouGh oF hounsloW
6
optIon d+:
neW Feltham unIversIty
There is the potential to attract
a new higher education facility
into Feltham town centre, which
could specialise in technology and
aviation and benefit from proximity
to Heathrow.
This would enliven Feltham town
centre and support a greater
diversity in its retail, eat, drink and
leisure offer. A new campus could
be focused on and around Feltham
Community Park and the station
University buildings would be of
exemplar design that complement
their parkland setting.
d: Feltham communIty park
To transform the open spaces
•
around Feltham Arena into a
single urban park that is well
designed, animated and offers
a range of recreation and sports
facilities for the community;
To enhance aspects of the park
•
with new residential buildings
Initial ideas for this park include the following:
To consolidate Blenheim Park, the Longford River
•
walk, Feltham Arena, Glebelands Playing Fields and
Feltham Park into a single park;
To connect the park across with a network of routes
•
that link up surrounding neighbourhoods with each
other and Feltham town centre, including building a
new pedestrian bridge across the Longford River;
To enable local initiatives, gardening and outdoor
•
sports and fitness activities for the local community
within the park, and provide a central cafe uses and
changing facility;
To establish an access road along the western,
•
southern and eastern edge of the park and promote
new residential development that fronts onto the
park and provides animation, passive surveillance and
a sense of safety within the park;
Ring fence capital receipts and planning contribution
•
for the purpose of funding park improvements for the
community and the upkeep of maintenance of the
park in perpetuity where appropriate; and
Promote new development at the site between New
•
Road and the Longford River to establish a striking
new gateway from the centre and the station into the
new park lands.
e: southern FrInGe
To enhance the High Street to the
•
south of the town centre;
To improve the public realm; and
•
To promote new development on
•
opportunity sites to establish an
enclosed and lively street scene.
F: Feltham IndustrIal
area and mod estate
hanWorth park (12)
artIst IllustratIon
To promote, in the medium
•
term, the redevelopment of older
industrial stock along Browells
Lane into town centre and
residential uses; and
To create improved walking and
•
cycling connections from the
employment area on Plane Tree
Crescent and the residential
areas to the south with the town
centre.
To transform Hanworth Park into
•
active green and amenity space
for surrounding communities;
To introduce a more diverse
•
landscape;
To open up the Longford River
•
and create a more naturalistic
setting with small lakes;
To enhance entrances and routes
•
through the park;
To refurbish Hanworth House and
•
bring back into meaningful use;
and
To expand provision of sports and
•
recreation facilities.
Initial ideas for the Southern Fringe include:
Intensification of development along the southern
•
part of the High Street to provide activity and
better enclosure to this important connection
between Feltham Town Centre and Lower
Feltham;
Create a tree-lined boulevard;
•
Narrow the carriage way and provide wider
•
footways, better crossing points and cycle
facilities; and
Explore opportunities for on-street parking to
•
support passing trade of shops (short term) and to
generate revenue (longer term parking).
that define the edges that define
the edges, provide overlooking
and make the park feel safe; and
To use development receipts
•
to pay for improvements and
maintenance of the park where
appropriate.
Birds eye view of an interpretation
of how Feltham could look one day.
The basis for this illustration is the
Concept Masterplan Option A.
The image is indicative only
and does not reflect actual
development proposals.
Further work is required to
understand how realistic and
feasibility these initial ideas for
development are.
Feltham statIon sQuare
development overlookInG park
GateWay Into the park
enhanced crendon court Gardens
re-deFIned vIctorIa road
potentIal to re-locate
vIctorIa JunIor school
Feltham communIty park
the centre
enhanced Feltham Green
enhanced hIGh street
restaurant Focus
centre plaza
neW raIlWay BrIdGe
Kidbrooke Village, precedent for development
overlooking park
Artist illustration of park overlooked by development
Cambridge, Precedent of contemporary university
building in campus setting
Artist illustration of urban tree-line boulevard as proposed for the High Street (south)
Olympic Park, precedent of contemporary park
design
Public Exhibition Boards
87

Public Exhibition
Responses
Q2) Do you support our vision? Q3) Do you have a preference
for the location of leisure uses
Q4) Do you support our initial ideas for the different sub-areas in Feltham?
in the town centre? a) Feltham Town Centre b) Feltham Station Gateway
Data set of all responses
Data set excluding
responses that ‘strongly
disagree’ with all
questions related to
the Vision and Concept
Masterplan, or omitting
answers altogether
88

c) Leisure West d) Feltham Community Park e) Southern Fringe
f) Feltham Industrial Area and MOD g) Hanworth Park
Public Engagement Responses
Those completing the questionnaire on the
exhibition boards were asked to indicate their
level of support for the vision, the various
options for the future of the Leisure West site,
and for the initial ideas suggested for each of
the seven sub-areas identified in Feltham.
There was also space on the questionnaire for
the provision of any further comments on the
exhibition.
Participants rated their level of support from
1 (Strongly Support) to 5 (Strongly Disagree).
The response to the consultation was mixed.
The analysis of the questionnaires shows that
respondents fall into two principle groups. One
group (49% of respondents) displays a typical
response behaviour with a varied spread of the
level of support across the different questions.
The second group (51% of respondents) is
characterised by ‘strongly disagreeing’ with all
questions related to the Vision and Concept
Masterplan, or omitting answers altogether.
This response behaviour appears to suggest
that the questionnaire was used as a conduit
to reject the engagement process or its
proposals altogether.
FELTHAM - VISION AND CONCEPT MASTERPLAN FINAL REPORT
89

Analysing written representations of the
second group further a number of common
themes can be found:
••
Opposition to any future development at
Station Estate Road;
••
Opposition to development or evolution
of the Feltham Arena site without the
engagement of local residents;
••
A frustration with the limitations of the
engagement process in terms of its timing
and publicity; and
••
Opposition to any future housing growth in
Feltham at all.
Whilst these coordinated responses can be
seen as having impacted disproportionately
on the engagement statistics, they do provide
valuable and valid feedback on the issues
that matter to local people, and have been
considered in the development of the final
Feltham Vision and Concept Masterplan.
Any redevelopment of private land such as
at Station Estate Road would be entirely the
decision of the relevant landowners, and would
be extremely difficult to achieve without their
full participation, engagement and cooperation.
An option showing that the site could be
redeveloped in the long-term was therefore
removed to reflect the clear response received
during the public engagement process.
The two week public engagement undertaken
during the development of the Feltham Vision
and Concept Masterplan was not a statutory
obligation, and was felt to be of sufficient
duration to familiarise the public with the
project and garner some meaningful responses
to the study’s high level analysis and initial
ideas. The public engagement process was
advertised via the Council website. social
media, at the Hanworth, Bedfont and Feltham
Area Forum, and via the local press.
A relatively high number of responses were
received both at the public exhibition and via
email, and have been invaluable in developing
the final document. It is important to note that
the Feltham Vision and Concept Masterplan is
a non-statutory document that will ultimately
feed into the West of the Borough Plan as part
of its evidence base. The West of the Borough
Plan will be a statutory Development Plan
Document (DPD), and as such the Council will
be obliged to subject the emerging document
to extensive public consultation as it evolves.
It is therefore our aspiration that the
enthusiasm the Feltham community has
shown during the Feltham Vision and Concept
Masterplan public engagement process for
engagement in the planning process, will
continue and be positively channelled into the
West of the Borough Plan.
The Hounslow Local Plan 2014 states that the
Council will seek to ensure that a minimum
of 12,330 additional dwellings will be
completed between 2015-2030. This figure is
considered justified as the2013 London-wide
SHLAA (Strategic Housing Land Availability
Assessment) and 2014 SHMA (Strategic
Housing Market Assessment) form part of
the Local Plan evidence base, with the best
available household projections indicate a level
of housing need far in excess of this figure
over the plan period. The Local Plan then
illustrates a strategy to direct development
towards the most accessible locations for
regeneration and intensification in the first
instance, which would include town centres
like Feltham. The Local Plan is expected to
be adopted in late 2015, having been through
successive rounds of public consultation.
Leisure West:
Respondents were asked to select a preferred
option from two options for the Leisure
West site, assuming any development were
financially viable. Option A saw Leisure
West remain on site albeit in a more intense
incarnation, whilst Option B saw the cinema
and leisure uses relocated to the High Street
releasing the existing site for residential
development. Of these two options Option A
proved to be the most popular with 35% of
respondents identifying it as their preferred
option, with 9% of respondents expressing a
preference for Option B. 13% expressed ‘no
preference’ whilst 20% had a preference for an
‘other’ option.
90

Key issues emerging from engagement responses:
••
Traffic congestion on the High Street
affects the functioning of the town centre,
and road infrastructure must be capable
of accommodating any additional demand
arising from new development;
••
The route between Leisure West and
The Centre Feltham could be made more
legible to pedestrians as part of a wider
programme of public realm improvements;
••
The showmen community are an important
part of Feltham’s history and have a valuable
role in its future evolution;
••
There is a desire for better pedestrian and
cycle routes into and through the town
centre, reducing reliance on motor vehicles;
••
Space for community groups and events is
valuable – thought should be given to their
future location and provision;
••
Open spaces are one of the town’s key
assets – they should be protected and
enhanced, with new sports provision
welcomed - more detail is required on any
development that facilitates this;
••
The history of Feltham and its residents is
important to its residents and should be
celebrated, informing future change; and
••
Feltham Rail Station is seen as an
opportunity to create a great entrance to the
town, with clear connections with the High
Street.

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