Huge 'Chiswick Gardens' Scheme Planned for Sainsbury's Site
Developer proposing at least 300 flats and is challenging affordability requirements
An aerial view of the Sainsbury's site at Essex Place. Picture: Berkeley Group
January 18, 2026
A proposal to redevelop the Sainsbury’s supermarket site in central Chiswick has resurfaced , this time under the banner “Chiswick Gardens”, a joint venture between Sainsbury’s and St James, part of the Berkeley Group.
The partnership is now in pre-application discussions with Hounslow Council, marking the most advanced step toward redevelopment of the site for over a decade.
The 3.2-acre plot at Essex Place, currently home to the supermarket and its large car park, is the largest development opportunity in Chiswick. It is formally identified in Hounslow’s emerging Local Plan as Site Allocation 107, and has been earmarked to deliver a minimum of 300 flats alongside a new 5,300 sqm Sainsbury’s supermarket.
The developers will hold two drop-in events at the store on 12 and 14 February. They say the proposals are at an early stage, with more details on exactly what is being planned due to be disclosed on 12 February.
In promotional material, Sainsbury’s and St James describe Chiswick Gardens as a chance to transform a “dated” and “well-used” store into a modern, sustainable supermarket supported by new housing and improved public spaces.
Sainsbury's Chiswick car park entrance
According to the developers, the new supermarket would offer “better internal layouts, improved access arrangements and a design that reflects modern shopping habits and sustainability expectations” and would “continue to contribute to Chiswick town centre’s success by attracting shoppers to the area.” Streets around the site would be redesigned to “look better and feel safer.” The scheme also promises new gardens, pedestrian routes and a more welcoming frontage onto the High Road and Essex Place.
No indication has been given as to the configuration and height of the scheme although the developer says it will ‘respect’ the low-rise housing to the east in Bedford Park. A local property expert believes that 300 flats could be accommodated on the site, assuming much of the existing car park is taken over, with mansion block style buildings of 7 or eight stories. However, if fewer blocks were included the height of the towers would need to be significantly higher than the nearby Empire House.
This is far from the first attempt to redevelop the Sainsbury’s site. Over the past 20 years, several proposals have been floated—none of which progressed to planning submission.
In the early 2000s Sainsbury’s explored options for a larger store with housing above, but concerns about height, traffic and the impact on Chiswick’s skyline stalled progress. In 2012 designs drawn up by Tate Hindle envisaged a larger store with a frontage onto Chiswick High Road but these were stymied when Lend Lease acquired Empire House which would have formed part of the plan.
The Tate Hindle plans for a new store which were drawn up in 2012
In 2022 the council published details of discussions that were taking place about the site including an outline plan for the configuration of a mixed-use development. This showed the car parking area reduced in size and confined to the northern part of the site by the railway line.
An outline plan for the site published in 2022. Picture: Hounslow Council
More recently Hounslow Council formally identified the site as a major redevelopment opportunity in its draft Local Plan, setting a minimum housing target and requiring replacement retail floorspace. This created the policy framework that has now enabled the St James partnership to move forward.
The developer has sought to challenge some of the requirements of the draft Local Plan employing planning consultancy Quod to submit a detailed hearing statement during the examination of Hounslow’s Local Plan.
This argued that the council’s viability evidence is outdated and does not reflect current construction costs, regulatory changes or the wider housing crisis. It also claimed that the Local Plan’s affordable housing expectations are too rigid and could make the Sainsbury’s scheme undeliverable and it was contended that policies should be applied flexibly. Quod said that given the current ‘housing emergency’ and the low level of affordable housing starts in the borough of Hounslow, the council should be doing more to unlock development.
The developers say they are still shaping the proposals and are actively seeking public feedback. The February drop-in sessions will be the first opportunity for residents to see early concepts and speak directly to the project team.
A full planning application is not expected until late 2026 at the earliest, following further design work, viability testing and negotiations with the council.
If delivered, Chiswick Gardens would be one of the largest scale developments ever in Chiswick, surpassed in living memory only by the Chiswick Business Park office development.
Both Sainsbury’s and the Berkeley Group have been approached for comment.
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