Westbrook Short Break Unit Reprovision and Children with Disabilities Residential Home Consultation
The Council plans to develop new short break unit and a residential home for children with disabilities and would like to hear from the local community about how this could affect them.
Overview
The Westbrook Short Break Unit Reprovision and Children with Disabilities (CwD) Home project aims to provide a purpose-built facility for the Westbrook Short Breaks Service and to increase local residential provision for children with disabilities within Hounslow. Our focus is to enable more children to remain closer to their families, friends, schools, and wider support networks, helping them maintain important relationships and community connections. By developing high-quality local provision, the Council will be better placed to meet children's needs within their home borough, promoting stability, continuity of care, and improved outcomes for children and their families.
This project focuses on developing two facilities at Vicarage Farm Road. A short break unit and a residential home for children with disabilities.
The project aligns with the council's vision for a healthier, thriving, and safer Hounslow and adheres to Green by Design principles.
The Council is seeking your views to inform the planning submission and project design. The initial proposal designs can be found on this page.
Background
The current Westbrook Short Break Unit, located at 55 New Heston Road requires significant interior and exterior refurbishments. The site cannot be suitably adapted due to its size and age constraints. The unit was built in the 1970s and its space is fully utilised. Existing services would need to be removed to make changes or add anything new.
There is no local residential home for children with disabilities in Hounslow. Consequently, children with disabilities are being placed in external private residential homes, outside of the borough. Local placements offer children the opportunity to remain connected to established support systems, friendships, and educational settings, helping to foster stability and positive outcomes.
In 2025 Cabinet approved a Strategic Business Case for the project, formerly known as SEND Children’s Home and Short Breaks Re-provision. Details of the project and the Cabinet decision can be found here: Agenda for Cabinet on Tuesday, 21 January 2025, 7:00 pm | London Borough of Hounslow
Why we are asking
Before submitting a planning application in the coming months, we want to understand:
- any concerns you may have
- any local impacts we should take into account
- suggestions to help shape the proposal
- your feedback will help inform our planning submission and project design.
- A planning proposal is anticipated to be submitted in the coming months and will be published online for planning consultation at Hounslow's planning portal. Ward Councillors will also be briefed.
What options were available to us
Summarised Delivery Options Considered (please see refer to the business case for a more detailed version)
Do nothing. No changes are made to the Westbrook Short Break Unit and external placements continued to be commissioned at an expensive rate.
Refurbish the current Westbrook Short Break Unit. Upgrade the existing Westbrook site to improve the building. This would retain the current service but cause significant disruption to the during construction. It would not resolve key issues such as asbestos and the site's age and size limit the scope for improvement. Adapting the site would further reduce already limited outdoor space and existing facilities, and it cannot be appropriately refurbished without removing some of the facilities currently available.
Develop a Short Break Unit and CwD residential home (option adopted by Cabinet). Build a new purpose-built facility at Vicarage Farm Road that includes both a Short Break Unit and a Children's with Disabilities (CwD) residential home. This option provides high-quality local care, helping children stay closer to their families, schools and support networks. It will reduce the need for costly external placements, bring services together so staff and resources can be used more efficiently, and make effective use of an available council-owned site.
Who we want to hear from
Everyone is welcome to participate; we particularly want to hear from the nearest neighbours and Heston community groups.
The project is being developed in partnership with health and social care professionals and will also include consultation with young people with lived experience.
Why you should respond
We have engaged with the existing parents and carers at the current Westbrook Short Break Unit as well as the Hounslow's Parent Carer Forum and now we want to engage with the general public particularly residents in Heston.
You can find out more about the project and share views, this will enable us to respond to queries and concerns – either at our face-to-face event, or as part of our planning submission. Feedback from the local community at events and via the survey below helps the Council structure a project which works for the children, their families and the local community.
By sharing your views now, you are helping the Council shape this children's residential home project. At this stage you are not being asked to respond to a planning application. You will be able to review the final scheme at the planning application stage and offer further comment later. The Planning department can only consider comments received during the official consultation for the planning application. Your views now are important to help form what goes into that planning application, but what you share now will not be directly considered as part of the planning application process.
How you can get involved
Survey- please complete the feedback form below to share your views on the design proposals.
Email - you can download the feedback form, complete and email this back to consult@hounslow.gov.uk by attaching, scanning or photographing the completed feedback form.
Post your response - you can download the feedback form and send a paper copy to Children's Commissioning, London Borough of Hounslow, Hounslow House, 7 Bath Road, Hounslow TW3 3EB. Please ensure it reaches us by 23rd August 2026.
If you need a paper copy, large print or Easy Read version or require a translation, please email consult@hounslow.gov.uk or call 020 8583 2000.
In person - you can attend the public engagement event at Heston Community Hub and Library, New Heston Road, Heston, TW5 0LW on Monday 3 August 2026 from 2.00pm-7.30pm. These are dedicated sessions to manage numbers as spaces are limited so please book your slot via the table below, but please do not hesitate to come at any time as we are very keen to hear your views. Register via the Eventbrite links below.
Time slots
Next steps
The feedback received will be reviewed by the architects and project team and will help inform the development of the proposals prior to submission of the planning application. The Local Planning Authority will then consider the application, alongside all relevant comments and planning considerations, when determining the application.
Thank you for sharing your views on the proposals.
