Latest news from the Earls Court Development

Early plans for this vast 40 acre site have been published by the Earls Court Development Company and you are invited to drop in to their “Conversation Corner” on the Lillie Road from now until 1st April. It is open from Wednesdays to Saturdays (see website for details - and to have your say).

The most controversial aspect of this development by far is the large number of overbearing skyscrapers planned, which the Society considers are far too high and constitute excessive overdevelopment of the site. The tallest buildings will be clustered on the western side of the site, next to and, taller than the 31 storey Empress State Building. Other tall buildings could come later, next to the A4 in the north. In phase 1 alone, there could be 3 skyscrapers between 31 and 38 storeys high, three more between 20-30 stories and several more between 13-20 storeys.

The tallest skyscrapers would be a similar height to Centrepoint, or the Millbank Tower. 35% of the properties will be “affordable”, consistent with the London Plan. What exactly this includes will depend on the local Council. New open spaces will be available to the general public, comprising about a quarter of the site and including a park in the middle, slightly larger than Trafalgar Square. Even so, this amount of open space is far less than the borough average for the number of residents planned.

The area will also include shops, restaurants and other cultural facilities. It will be possible to walk between Earl’s Court, West Brompton and, eventually, West Kensington Stations, with upgrades planned for the stations. While the Society welcomes the creation of much needed new homes, this is not the best way of doing so. There has already been a great deal of consultation, but the developers have not yet been clear on their plans for the tall buildings. Try to imagine an area the size of the Hurlingham Club grounds containing six skycrapers, 4,500 homes and perhaps 9,000 residents!