Back in 2012 the plan to radically alter the face of Brentford was submitted.

Now exactly two years to the month since that event the developer behind it is finally ready to face the local planning authority.

Irish company Ballymore hopes to receive a committee date before the year is out - possibly around the same time in December that the town’s football club won approval for its new 20,000 seater stadium a year ago.

And its highly likely the meeting could be as lengthy - and as controversial - as it was on that occasion.

The plans for the south side of Brentford High Street (which includes a large swathe of industrial land adjacent to the Grand Union Canal) have divided opinion since long before Ballymore aquired the site six years ago.

In fact, various developers and owners including the Mauritius-based Brentford Town Development who sold the site to Ballymore have tried and failed for more than 20 years to agree with locals and councillors about what is best for the town.

Ballymore’s plan for those who have forgotten involves demolishing most of the existing shops, flats and warehouses and in their place creating:

* 876 residential units

* An additional 14,000 square metres of retail floor space - double existing capacity

* 772 new jobs

* A link between the high street and a new catering and leisure complex on the waterfront

* A new space for an arts and culture centre

* Local transport improvements

The developer was due to lay the details out for Hounslow Council to vote on last year but asked for a postponement while it went back to carry out new traffic surveys in order to meet tougher new guidelines put together by Transport for London (TfL) in light of all the developments happening across West London.

Derelict warehouses like this will be renovated by the Brentford town centre project

This took six months alone by which time the local elections were in full swing and Ballymore decided to wait until all calmed down before proceeding.

The TfL document in particular is in high demand with many groups keen to have a look including Brentford Chamber of Commerce which has also been critical of the Ballymore scheme in the past and remains yet to be convinced what is on the table is right for the local area.

President Suzie Betlem told getwestlondon: “There still seems to be no retail strategy in place and we feel like Ballymore is sitting on everything and not being open.

“We hear rumours all the time that Waitrose is coming, or Marks and Spencer is coming, but no concrete plans.

“We’ve heard nothing from Ballymore or its senior development manager Joe Swindells since he came to talk to us back in May but we still are keen to work with them for the benefit of Brentford.”

Another sticking point is the plan for the regenration of the waterside along the stretch of the Grand Union Canal from past Brentford Lock up to where it joins the Thames.

John Bowen is the owner of Malthouse Wharf, a mooring yard, who leases his premises from Ballymore.

He said: “Ever since the plan was revealed the boating community has been worried they will be forced out or have their lives disrupted.

“We all agree the place needs renovating, but we want to see the assets kept and enhanced, something like a series of artisan workshops to help bring back lost trades to Brentford would be wonderful.

“So far we’ve not had any indication these wishes are being listened to but we also want to work with Ballymore to make this project really successful.”

Brentford's waterside area which will be regenerated as part of the town centre plan

Mr Swindells acknowledges the frustrating delays and previous lack of communication, but insists things will be different from here on out.

On a site visit with getwestlondon last week he said: “There’s been a lot of talk about height and massing of the scheme, but not much about the connections, the regeneration, the improvements we will be making.

“We (people) seem to prefer to criticise and critique rather than focus on positives.

“We want to meet with everyone, the businesses, the residents, individuals and while we don’t expect them to come away 100% in favour of all aspects, we would at least like them to agree that this project is going to be a great improvement for Brentford.

“We absolutely support the idea of artisan workshops, the water is a huge asset to us, it flows through the heart of the scheme, and we want to make full use of it.

“We want to retain as much of the history of Brentford as we can and work it into the fabric of the new-look town.

“Residents should be reassured we are not looking to land something like an alien spacecraft in the middle of town, we want everything to blend in.

“We don’t want animosity and neither are we looking to throw a few blocks of flats up and then vanish from the area.

“That is precisely why it is a phased project - we intend to be here for the long-term.

“And people need not worry about losing their identity - this scheme will be given a title which keeps the name of Brentford.

“It won’t be Kew Adjacent or anything like that - this is Brentford.”