A controversial 27-storey tower is set to dominate Hounslow's skyline after overcoming the final hurdle to get the go ahead.
The high-rise apartment building is part of plans for 527 homes, a multiplex cinema, shops and restaurants in Hounslow town centre which have got the green light from communities secretary Greg Clark.
The size of the scheme meant it could have been 'called in' by the Department for Communities and Local Government, headed by Mr Clark, but a spokeswoman for the department confirmed on Thursday, January 7, that it would not do so.
The development had already been approved by members of Hounslow Council's planning committee , despite concerns from some residents about the scale of the buildings, and was waved through in December by London mayor Boris Johnson.
It is due to be built on a car park just opposite Hounslow High Street - opposite the Blenheim Centre, which is home to a 24-hour Asda.
The development has been opposed by Hounslow Central Residents Association (HCRA), which claims it is out of proportion to surrounding buildings, and by Hounslow Green Party, which branded the tower an "eyesore".
A handful of businesses whose buildings would be demolished to make way for the scheme have also complained.
But some residents have welcomed the regeneration plans, which are more than a decade in the making, claiming they will help breathe new life into the town centre.
The developer Barratt has said it hopes to begin work in early 2017 and complete the project in 2020.
