NEARLY 200 homes could be built at the former headquarters of the ColArt paint materials factory in Wealdstone.
The plant in Whitefriars Avenue produced Winsor and Newton paints and brushes and closed last year when production was moved to Le Mans in France and research staff relocated to offices in White City.
ColArt Group held a public exhibition on Saturday at the vacant site to introduce plans for 198 flats and houses, office space and communal gardens before it submits a planning application.
Artist impressions show a row of three-storey terraced-housing facing a communal square that will connect High Street in Wealdstone to Whitefriars Avenue through the 2.4 hectare plot.
Exhibition visitor Gillian Mancer, 69, of Whitefriars Avenue, Wealdstone, said: “There were a lot of people discussing it and they didn’t seem very keen. We had no idea that housing was going up.
“The main building that faces the school is going to remain but I didn’t realise how much land there was behind it to be able to accommodate 200 houses.
“It seems the access to them was going to be on the High Road, which will be better for us because we already have the mosque and the school, and the traffic is chaotic.”
The firm said the scheme had been designed in line with Harrow Council’s draft blueprint for development in Harrow and Wealdstone, called the area action plan, which calls for a minimum of 150 houses and 130 jobs to be created on this site.
In a statement, the firm said: “Aiming to create a new and sustainable community and neighbourhood, the development will provide a wide range of residential housing, from starter homes and apartments to large family homes, in addition to civic spaces and communal gardens.
“Reflecting the history of paint production at the site, the housing will be highlighted with colour, adopting hues taken from the colour chart created by the factory.”
Readers can send comments on the plans to ColArt at information@colartlocal.co.uk.
