The Earls Court Development Company (ECDC) has unveiled a draft masterplan for the redevelopment of the largely derelict 40-acre site.
The masterplan for the site, which will deliver up to 4,500 new homes – 35% affordable across all tenures – in addition to a wide range of other uses, was drafted following two years of discussion and engagement with local communities and stakeholders.
Rob Heasman, CEO of ECDC, said: “Like a London jigsaw missing its final piece, this 40-acre site is perhaps Central London’s most significant redevelopment opportunity. The site has an illustrious past which is a continual source of inspiration for us as we look towards the future.
“We want to create a place which reinstates ‘wonder’ in this incredible part of London. We will help to create a more inclusive and equitable piece of city with homes for all incomes and stages of life, and thousands of jobs from training to start up to scale up. The development will integrate culture and public realm throughout, responding to the number one stated desire from local people; to have green and open spaces across the site. We have an ambition to be a global exemplar of responsible, sustainable development, putting people’s health and well-being first.”
ECDC said landscaped piazzas, play space and public gardens at the entrances will connect through a network of pedestrianised streets and spaces to a ‘Table’ park at the heart of the site, which will be a ‘unique destination’ repurposing part of the former Earls Court Exhibition Centre structure.
Heasman added: ”We are acting now, bringing excitement and enterprise through our immediate site activations whilst also looking beyond the horizon to what future generations may need and aspire to. Above all, we are focusing on ensuring a masterplan which is deliverable, and which will create a thriving part of the city now and in the long term. We are delighted to share how our plans are coming together. We look forward to continuing our extensive discussions with the community and our stakeholders as the plans progress.”
ECDC said the masterplan would evolve over the course of 2023 with a planning application due to be submitted by the end of the year. It is hoping to start the first phase of development, comprising 1,300 homes, the park and vital east-west connections, in 2025.
