Asda’s new west London tower blocks threaten to spoil the views at Kew Gardens, Historic England has warned.
The supermarket’s plan to build housing blocks up to 35 storeys high around a new superstore in Park Royal, west London, could disrupt sight lines from the historic Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew, the heritage watchdog said.
Asda is planning to build around 1,510 homes at its 10-acre Park Royal site, which it is redeveloping in partnership with Barratt London. The pair hope to create a new “town centre” with a 123,900-sq-ft flagship superstore and community hub.
However, the Government’s heritage watchdog has written to local planning officials to raise “concerns” about the effect on Kew Gardens, which sits three miles away.
In a consultation response, Historic England warned the tower blocks could invade views of the gardens’ landmark Orangery when viewed from across its Great Lawn.
The Orangery, which is connected to a surviving part of the gardens’ 18th-century landscape, was originally commissioned by Augusta, Dowager Princess of Wales. It was built in 1761 by Sir William Chambers, the architect, to house citrus trees, but its light levels were too low for the plants to thrive.
From 1863 until 1959, the Orangery served instead as a timber museum. The building, which features high ceilings and grand, arched windows, now houses a restaurant.
