Harrow retirement home residents fear ‘Tesco Towers’ plans

Housing association Notting Hill Genesis (NHG) last month submitted plans to demolish the Tesco superstore in Station Road, Harrow, and replace it with a new store, as well as 504 flats in ten blocks from four to 13 storeys high in its Greenmead Place development.

Residents of the neighbouring Rosen House Retirement Home, many of whom are vulnerable and have serious health issues, are fighting the scheme.

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Mary Warner, 77, has lived at Rosen House for just over five years. She told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) that many are "already stressed and anxious".

She said: “The residents here are elderly, some are clinically vulnerable with breathing difficulties and use oxygen. The prospect of a huge development next door on such a small footprint fills us with foreboding and we’re literally scared for our lives.”

The retirement home residents, along with campaign group No To Tesco Towers, are urging people to sign their petition. They fear the effect construction will have on air quality, light, noise, and traffic.

Residents of Rosen House are scared over plans to build tower blocks next door in Station Road. Facundo Arrizabalaga/MyLondon

Suresh Shah, 80, has developed mutism since living in the home and currently spends much of his day enjoying the view from his window. If the development goes ahead, this view will be obscured by one of the towers, potentially leaving it completely in shadow. Unable to articulate his feelings, Suresh can only cry whenever the development is brought up.

Another Rosen House resident, Wendy Ebrahim, 63, said: “We have worked hard all of our lives, we’ve ticked all the boxes, we’ve paid the taxes, and we have come to a location to retire. We need to be able to breathe good quality air, it’s a basic human right. We’ve got people here on oxygen tanks, on kidney dialysis. None of us foresaw this as our retirement.”

It is possible the development could take more than five years to complete, with Wendy suggesting many residents "won’t survive that long".

Residents of Rosen House are scared over plans to build tower blocks next door in Station Road. Facundo Arrizabalaga/MyLondon

Those with homes directly facing the site are concerned they would have to draw their curtains and shut their windows to stop noise and dust, fearing the "colossal" buildings could leave them without light or fresh air.

Wendy said: “Elderly people die in the heat. I can’t be in my apartment sometimes because the temperature goes up so high. How am I going to open the windows with the building work happening right there?”

Many believe the homes are not affordable for locals and aimed at the foreign market. Wendy said: “It’s the property developers that will benefit, Tesco will benefit, and we will be put through years of nightmares.”

A CGI of Greenmead Place, dubbed 'Tesco Towers' it would provide 504 new homes in ten apartment blocks. Image Credit: Notting Hill Genesis

Sidney Chu, 65, believes the residents are "being discriminated against" as the development would deny them a "decent standard of living".

Residents claim they only heard about the scheme through a neighbour, rather than via Notting Hill Genesis or Tesco. Veena Shah, 70, said: “It was all very hush hush, nobody knew about it.”

The development proposes 35 per cent of the homes be affordable. Documents say the schem would be in two phases, with the first comprising 233 homes, including all of the affordable housing, in five towers ranging between seven and 13 storeys – and the new Tesco.

A general view of the Tesco next to the Rosen House pose for photos in north London in Britain 10 May 2024. Facundo Arrizabalaga/MyLondon.

‘Phase 2’ would include 271 homes in five blocks ranging between four and 13 storeys and the demolition of the existing superstore.

If approved, a Tesco store would be open throughout.

A spokesperson for NHG said: “We are always willing to work with the local community to understand and mitigate their concerns and are committed to providing this much-needed housing in a popular part of London. We carried out extensive consultation with local residents and gave them the opportunity to have their say about the evolving proposals.”

Residents of Rosen House are scared over plans to build tower blocks next door in Station Road. Facundo Arrizabalaga/MyLondon

They added: “Following this, we responded by decreasing the heights of most buildings to reduce the impact on nearby homes, while assessments will be submitted to ensure the project complies with daylight and sunlight policies.

“Efforts are always made to ensure the minimum impact on neighbours and the site will be registered with the Considerate Constructors Scheme. Noise and air quality assessments will be conducted which will establish any mitigation measures that will be required, which contractors will enact.”

The plan is expected to come before Harrow Council’s planning committee, but a date is yet to be announced.