A LARGE, and according to one critic ‘lousy’, housing development near Hayes and Harlington Station has got the go-ahead.

Domaine Developments got permission to build a tower block containing 120 flats and offices on land spanning about an acre at the far eastern end of Blyth Road, Hayes.

At 11 storeys at its tallest point, the same height as the YMCA Ventura House hostel on nearby Station Road, it will mostly contain one- and two-bedroom flats with 97 parking spaces provided.

Blyth Road resident Jim Gabb, 64, blasted the “ridiculous” approval by Hillingdon Council’s central and south planning committee on Wednesday on the proviso the Mayor of London does not object.

Mr Gabb said: “It is a lousy idea, and I am disappointed that it has gone through. It will overshadow all of our homes, parking will become a problem as these new developments never provide enough spaces. A sheltered housing scheme would have been better for the area.”

The site is currently industrial land, a usually protected status, but the council said it was likely to relax the designation for Blyth Road. The laregly undeveloped road has been seized on by developers in the last year due to its proximity to the station and town centre, and the arrival of Crossrail in 2018 and is in line for a £250million regeneration.

It was second time lucky for Domaine. Its first proposal for the site – a 15-storey building – was refused in October because it would encroach on Heathrow’s airspace.

The company must commit more than £250,000 towards education, and make other financial contributions, as part of typical “planning gain” agreement with the council.

Planning committee chairman Councillor Janet Duncan said: “It is not a site the Greater London Authority has an interest in retaining strategically for industry. Road access is not good, and we were able to get some affordable housing, which there is a pressing need for.”

Domaine is a subsidiary company of Irish firm Ballymore, which used the plot of land as a building compound during the construction of its High Point Village across the road.