Artist's impression of the Ed City development in White City
White City will soon be home to a new state-of-the art education hub helping to bring the skills, talents and aspirations of local young people to life.
Works are due to start later this month on the £150m scheme which includes a new OnSide Youth Zone offering sporting, creative and social opportunities to youngsters in the borough as well as the construction of a new primary school, nursery and adult education centre.
This is the latest exciting development in White City to ensure all residents from all backgrounds get the education and training they need to benefit from the new jobs and career opportunities coming to H&F thanks to the council’s Industrial Strategy.
It forms part of a wider scheme from Hammersmith & Fulham Council and the national education charity Ark which also includes 132 new affordable homes for local residents and a new 100,000 sqft office space for up to 1,000 jobs on the site situated between South Africa Road and Australia Road.
“This project will bring tangible benefits to the local community with a new school and nursery, a youth zone and improved adult education services,” said Hammersmith & Fulham Council Leader, Cllr Stephen Cowan.
“There will be new, affordable homes for local people, improvements to public areas and jobs will be relocated here. Partnerships are a central feature of our Industrial Strategy benefiting this previously-neglected part of the borough, so I am delighted we can now get this work under way.”
The development, known as EdCity, will create:
- a new building for Ark Swift Primary Academy with state-of-the art IT and modern classrooms, and access to a range of sports and performing arts facilities
- 132 new council-owned affordable homes for local people
- a new building for Harmony Nursery to increase capacity to 75 children
- a new OnSide Youth Zone providing sporting, creative and social activities and opportunities for local young people
- an expanded adult education and community learning centre providing training and life-long learning opportunities for local residents
- a new 100,000 sqft office space for up to 1,000 jobs and a new permanent home for Ark and other organisations and businesses
- a new landscaped public square with a pedestrian and cycle route, directly linking residential areas to the redeveloped White City business and transport hubs.
The White City project will be carried out in two phases with initial works starting this month. The new school, OnSide Youth Zone and office space will be open in the second half of 2023 as well as some of the new affordable homes. The rest of the scheme will be complete in 2025.
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