The world’s oldest surviving gasholder will be the centrepiece of a new public park and square in Fulham
Hammersmith & Fulham Council has secured 646 new genuinely affordable homes in south Fulham to help residents struggling to afford to stay in the borough.
The new housing development at the historic Fulham gasworks site will see the 16-acre plot in Imperial Road transformed into an exciting new neighbourhood along the river Thames.
It forms part of H&F Council’s efforts to ensure local people, rather than overseas property investors, benefit from local growth and development.
“This development is part of our drive to give local people struggling to cope with rocketing rents and house prices the chance to stay in the borough,” said Cllr Andrew Jones, H&F Cabinet Member for the Economy and the Arts.
“We’re building the largest number of genuinely affordable homes in a decade at zero cost to residents. We don’t want anyone to be left behind.”
New park and square
The development, which is just off King’s Road, will include a new public park and square which will embrace the site’s gasworks heritage. The world’s oldest surviving gasholder, which was built on the site in 1829, will be the centrepiece of the new green space once the Grade II*-listed structure is renovated.
A Grade II-listed WW1 war memorial and a WW2 war memorial on the site will be retained and celebrated in the new Sands End Square.
Work on the one, two, three and four-bedroom homes from property developer St William will begin next year.
Affordable rent
The latest housing scheme will deliver 646 new genuinely affordable homes in south Fulham, which includes:
- 259 new homes available at affordable rent for residents on the council’s housing waiting list.
- 193 new homes set at the London Living Rent to allow residents to save up for a deposit on their first home.
- 194 new homes earmarked for local first-time buyers on a shared ownership basis.
South Fulham regeneration
The Imperial Road development is situated in the south Fulham riverside regeneration area where the council aims to deliver significant growth opportunities for residents, new businesses, housing, jobs and infrastructure.
As well as the historic gasholder, other Grade II-listed landmarks in the former gasworks will also be refurbished including the neo-classic styled Chief Engineer’s Office built in 1857 and the research lab designed by Sir Walter Tapper in 1927.
The gasworks were established in 1824 by Imperial Gas Light and Coke Company, replacing the market gardens and orchards on the Sandford Manor estate.
More affordable homes coming
H&F Council has recently secured more than 1,400 genuinely affordable homes in the borough at zero cost to taxpayers after negotiating a series of deals with developers.
St James, part of the Berkeley Group has begun to build 427 new genuinely affordable homes at White City Living on the former Marks & Spencer’s warehouse site near Westfield.
It follows on from another 89 new genuinely affordable homes which H&F Council secured for residents in White City as part of the negotiations around the planning approval for the £600 million Westfield extension works by Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield.
Over in Australia Road, 71 genuinely affordable homes for local people will be delivered on the new Ed City development, with 38 flats for key workers and 33 flats for social rent.
The council has also begun to redevelop a former hostel it owns in Lavender Court with 45 new, genuinely affordable homes for residents.
Down in Fulham, work is underway to build 133 genuinely affordable homes at Edith Summerskill House on the Clem Attlee Estate. Plus an additional 30 new, genuinely affordable homes are being built at the council-owned Fulham North Housing Office and adjacent car park on the estate.
