West London town centre set to get a new theatre and 100 homes with aim of attracting major UK shows

A brand new arts centre is set to open in Brentford, alongside the construction of around 100 new homes, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) can reveal. Hounslow Council is recommended to approve plans to release an additional £1.45 million to fund changes to design plans needed to make the building compliant with new fire safety regulations.

This would pave the way for a new theatre to open as the anchor for a new arts centre as part of the town centre's regeneration. A report due to be discussed by Hounslow Council's Cabinet on Tuesday, November 12 says the council is also in advanced talks with a new housing provider needed to proceed with the redevelopment of the police station site which has lain derelict for years. The LDRS understands that there will be 'around 100' new homes built alongside the new arts centre.

There is an expectation that a majority of the new homes built under this regeneration scheme will be social housing, however at this stage there is no confirmation around details of the housing plans after Peabody pulled out.

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The decision to build a new 'state of the art' centre for the arts on the same site in Brentford will come as a relief to many after the Hounslow Arts Trust closed the Watermans Art Centre in April citing 'financial pressures'. Work is expected to begin between the spring and summer of 2025. At this stage it is unclear when the centre and homes will open to the public, however the hope is the construction will be swift.

It is understood that initially, the focus of the arts centre was to build a new cinema. However, with the new Everyman cinema opening nearby, a new theatre is now the priority - one which can host hundreds of people, pull in top notch acts, and operate without subsidy.

It is expected that the arts centre will have a number of smaller 'more niche' spaces, something Councillor Salman Shaheen, Cabinet Member for Culture, Leisure and Public Spaces, believes would be made sustainable by having a larger performance space booked.

Cllr Shaheen told the LDRS that he expects the arts centre to be a roaring success. He said: "We would love to see national class acts coming to the new arts centre. We are looking for a provider that can bring that.

"We are currently seeing a boom in Brentford, and we want to shine a spotlight on that area. We hope the theatre will host a range of class acts, from comedy… to live music… to great touring theatre shows. We hope this will put Brentford on the map and become a national attraction.

"Between the regeneration and transformation of Brentford town centre with new shops and restaurants, a burgeoning population, world-class musical acts coming into Gunnersbury Park, and a football club in the Premier League, there has never been a more exciting time for Brentford."

Cllr Tom Bruce, Deputy Leader of Hounslow Council and Cabinet Member for Assets, Regeneration and Development, said: "This is an exciting and pivotal moment in the development of the Brentford police station site and the future of arts and culture in the area. The challenges of redeveloping this site have been significant, particularly given the most recent economic climate.

"However, we are extremely optimistic that with our emerging partnership, along with investment from the council, we can transform this vacant building into the right mix of housing and vibrant space that meets the needs of our community. Taking this forward demonstrates our commitment to Brentford, to the arts and to economic growth across Hounslow."

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