Mayor Gives Go Ahead to Oaklands Development
First phase of the regeneration of the Old Oak area to proceed
Computer generated image of the development
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan has given his approval to the Oaklands development in Old Oak which will include 605 old homes.
It is the first stage in the redevelopment of the area around the Power Day Waste Disposal site which is anticipated to deliver 25,000 new homes in the area.
Genesis Housing Association and Queens Park Rangers Football Club (QPR) have welcomed the to approve their £175 million mixed use development.
Work is now set to start later this year on the project in which 40 per cent the flats will be classed as affordable. The scheme will also provide a link road into Old Oak, opening up the wider area to regeneration. There will also be a 40,000 sq ft creative hub aimed at attracting companies from the high tech economy.
Neil Hadden, Chief Executive at Genesis Housing Association, said, “We are delighted that the redevelopment at Oaklands, in one of Hammersmith and Fulham’s most important regeneration sites, has been approved. We will now be able to provide hundreds more affordable homes for Londoners on a once derelict site.
“Partnerships such as the one we have with QPR enable us to invest, not only in building new homes, but in developing new communities.”
Genesis and QPR have agreed to work together to deliver this first development at Old Oak. Genesis controls the Oaklands site. QPR has other strategic land interests in Old Oak and would like to build a new stadium as part of the wider development, providing a new home for the Club. However, agreement has yet to be reached with Cargiant, the other major landholder in the area.
Tony Fernandes, co-Chairman of QPR, added, “We are delighted that the Mayor has granted planning permissions for the Oaklands development, including hundreds of affordable homes for Londoners. Along with our development partners Genesis Housing Association we look forward to creating this new neighbourhood, building a sustainable community where people can live, work and play.
“We are committed to bringing forward other development sites in Old Oak as soon as possible to create the homes that London desperately needs. All this will help us achieve our ultimate goal, which is to secure the future of the club through the construction of a new stadium with sporting, community and educational facilities.”
Tony Mendes of Cargiant said, "The statements of QPR implying that a stadium could be built on Cargiant land are at best confusing and at worse misleading. Under no circumstances will we consent to a stadium on our land. Any further work by the Club in this direction is futile."
The Oaklands site is located on the western part of the Old Oak regeneration area, south of the Grand Union Canal. It is currently a vacant site that has been unoccupied for 10 years. It was previously used as offices and a hostel. The area owned by Cargiant which would become Old Oak Park, is to the east of the Oaklands site on the northern side of the canal.
Demolition of the existing site buildings will start later this year and construction work is expected to take three years to fully complete.
Large investment is to take place to improve public transport in the area with a new station for HS2 and Crossrail, and new London Overground stations as well as increasing the capacity of existing stations at Willesden Junction and North Acton.
August 3, 2016