A supermarket site in Brentford is to be developed for housing after being bought for £16.25m.

The 1.6-acre plot in Brentford High Street, which is currently leased to Morrisons, was bought by developer Essential Living from Threadneedle.

It plans to build what it says would be Hounslow's first development of homes designed for long-term rent.

The company said it would work with Hounslow Council and local stakeholders to develop a mixed used scheme for the site, with consultation set to begin later this year and a planning application anticipated next summer.

A spokesman for Essential Living this week said it was to early to indicate how many homes might be created or whether Morrisons or another supermarket would be included.

Morrisons recently announced plans to close 11 supermarkets across the country but said last week it had no plans to close its Brentford store.

Morrisons in Brentford High Street (Google StreetView)

Essential Living already has eight sites across London and the South East, where it plans to create 5,000 homes, including the Perfume Factory site in North Acton, and Creekside in Greenwich.

Charlie Hustler, land director at Essential Living, said: "We have remained focused on expanding our portfolio of sites across London and the South East and are delighted to be able to offer Hounslow its first development designed and built entirely for rent."

Plans for around 600 homes plus community and commercial space at the Perfume Factory Site are set to go before Ealing Council's planning committee at the end of the year.

The Creekside scheme, which includes 249 homes, was approved in July by members of Greenwich Council's planning board. Councillors praised the proposed development at the time as "unique" and "highly imaginative".