Westminster Labour welcomes the decision of Westminster’s Planning Committee to refuse the Travis Perkins/Unite scheme for a 768-bed student hall by the canal at Paddington.

The proposed building reached 20 storeys high and would have taken up to 90% of the light from neighbouring flats with particular impact on Sheldon Square and Dudley House, as well as on residents in Little Venice.

In addition, the service management plan would have resulted in traffic queues along Bishops Bridge Road putting pedestrians and cyclists in danger.

Councillor Geoff Barraclough, shadow cabinet member for planning said:

“Everyone accepts that this site needs redevelopment but, given the residential flats already built close by, this proposal is much too tall. Also, any new proposal needs to be serviced from within the site itself and not lead to queues on the highway. Travis Perkins needs to go away and have a complete rethink.”

Councillor Paul Dimoldenberg, Labour candidate for Hyde Park Ward, said:

“This is a victory for Sheldon Square residents with whom we have been campaigning against these proposals for over a year. A development of 20 storeys so close to the Sheldon Square flats would have done huge damage to residential amenity.”