Southall garages could become family homes

Derelict garages on Recreation Road in Southall could be replaced with four family-sized homes under Ealing Council’s small-sites housing programme.

The council has appointed architect-developer Oddment to work on the council-owned plot. The scheme still needs planning permission, and residents are expected to be consulted before a formal application is made.

Recreation Road site set for four homes

The site has been identified by the council as suitable for redevelopment after sitting underused. Ealing Council says the aim is to turn smaller plots that larger developers often overlook into housing that better fits local need.

Council leader Peter Mason said working with developers such as Oddment could support local jobs while bringing forgotten plots of land back into use. He described the Recreation Road proposal as part of building “a fairer economy”.

Planning permission has not yet been granted

The proposal is not yet an approved housing development. Oddment is expected to consult neighbours before submitting its plans for planning permission.

That means local residents should still have a chance to see the proposed design, raise site-specific concerns and comment through the planning process once an application is lodged.

Alex Somerville, Oddment’s co-founding director, said the company would begin with outreach through flyers and neighbour visits, adding that the team wanted to “listen, learn, and shape the project together”.

Part of Ealing’s small-sites housing push

The Recreation Road project sits within the Mayor of London’s Small Sites, Small Builders programme, which is designed to open up publicly owned or underused land to small and medium-sized developers.

Ealing Council says smaller developers currently account for about 12% of the market but can play a useful role on compact sites that are too small or awkward for larger builders.

Councillor Louise Brett, deputy leader and cabinet member for safe and genuinely affordable homes, said unlocking sites such as Recreation Road was part of the borough’s response to the housing crisis. She said the council was looking at the potential of more small sites across Ealing in the near future.

Similar council-led housing schemes are moving through planning elsewhere in London, including social rent homes and a community hub in Bethnal Green.

Oddment brings local ties to the scheme

Oddment was founded in 2024 by Ned Scott and Alex Somerville. The company says its approach is focused on design-led homes that sit naturally within their surroundings.

Somerville grew up in Ealing and has previously worked on projects in the borough. He said the Southall site was a chance to turn a small plot into “something special” while creating new homes in the area.

Further small sites in the borough are due to be put out to tender for development later this year, supported through the Small Sites, Small Builders programme and a Greater London Authority grant.

Source: Ealing Council