Site allocation policy
Earls court
The site is shared with the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, and the council will progress further this site allocation through the Duty to Cooperate process and taking into account the emerging London Plan and revised housing figures, updated retail and leisure needs, and tall buildings and capacity evidence as this information becomes available. Planning applications are currently under consideration in both boroughs. This Site Allocation will take forward the application site within the borough boundary and assume it has a 15-20 year phased timeframe.
The council will support the phased mixed use residential led redevelopment of the Earls Court site.
Development proposals should:
a) provide a design led approach to each phase to deliver a high-quality public realm which promotes active travel and permeability both within the wider site and with the surrounding streets and demonstrates a comprehensive approach to the regeneration of the wider area;
b) provide a significant contribution to the council's housing targets, aiming to maximise delivery at all phases of the development;
c) bring forward new housing and affordable housing in the early phases, including within the plan period;
d) provide a commercially aware and viable mix of land uses, including housing, employment, hotels, leisure and associated facilities, retail and cultural facilities which make a significant contribution to delivering the council's Industrial Strategy -Upstream- and the Cultural Strategy ambitions;
e) make a significant contribution to delivering new employment floorspace which provide high quality jobs, training and skills development opportunities for local people;
f) deliver employment space at each phase which reflects up to date employment land and needs evidence in order to promote successful take up;
g) ensure a flexible approach to delivery on later phases which will allow the proportion and types of businesses and light industrial typologies to be built out which reflect and respond to changing demands and needs in later stages beyond the plan period;
h) deliver on site affordable workspace and a wide range of unit sizes, with a significant proportion of small-scale accommodation for the boroughs SME sectors provided in the early phases;
i) deliver new cultural facilities which reflect the council's Cultural Strategy ambitions for this location;
j) provide adequate social, physical, environmental and transport infrastructure to support the needs of the area as a whole and which is brought forward at all phases of development;
k) provide green corridors and public open spaces, and deliver a new public greenspace with appropriate seating for local people and visitors; and
l) recognise the substantial scope offered by the scale and location of the wider Opportunity Area to create a new sense of place and range of densities.
There may be scope for tall buildings, however any tall buildings would need to be justified by a full urban design analysis, which takes account of updated local plan evidence on tall buildings and capacity.
3.80 The Earls Court and West Kensington Opportunity Area covers approximately 37 hectares across both the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. The London Plan 2021 identifies the Opportunity Area to have an indicative capacity for 6,500 new homes and 5,000 jobs across both boroughs. These targets may change over the course of this Local Plan review as the new London Plan is published, and depending on the outcome and implementation of the planning application currently in consideration on this site.
3.81 The council expects this site to make a significant contribution to housing delivery, particularly in the early phases. The Industrial Strategy also sets out ambitions for meeting affordable housing needs on this site – for example - the council is developing new Affordable Housing models and home ownership interventions including tenures that connect employees to homes linked to their professions.
3.82 The council wishes to see the potential for significant development realised. The Hammersmith and Fulham Industrial Strategy – Upstream sets out the ambitions for economic growth and skills development for local people, centred around innovation and reflecting the social, economic and climate change objectives of the borough's STEM growth strategy. Nearly 90% of the borough's businesses employ fewer than 9 people. To ensure businesses benefit from the development, affordable workspace will be sought, provided in a range of smaller units to meet local SME and micro SME needs.
3.83 A flexible approach on the range of uses over the phased development will enable both the employment types and other town centre uses to respond to changing needs and demands over the development timeframe. This site has the potential to contribute to meeting identified visitor accommodation and student housing needs. Provision of shops and services to meet the day to day needs of the new residential occupiers and workers will be important in creating a sustainable community, avoiding the need to travel.
3.84 A comprehensive approach to the site would provide the opportunity to create a permeable layout for the whole area, with a good range of facilities and useful open space, and better connections to rail and underground stations There would be a holistic approach to design issues across the area;
3.85 A phased development would underpin regeneration of the surrounding area through a greatly increased demand for local shops and services. Building out the commercial uses over the anticipated 15-20 year timeframe would provide the flexibility to respond to changing demand and needs for employment and commercial development to better ensure occupation. It would help regenerate North End Road, with active travel solutions increasing footfall;
3.86 Despite the loss of the Earls Court Exhibition Centre, this legacy should not be lost and development proposals brought forward within the opportunity area should provide an arts, leisure or entertainment venue which should help to continue the area's cultural legacy. A significant quantum and wide range of retail, arts cultural and entertainment uses will be appropriate to reflect the Council's Industrial Strategy and the Cultural Strategy ambitions for the area to become a destination with a vibrant evening economy, creative and cultural offer.
3.87 The size of the site and the anticipated development potential will mean that the majority of social infrastructure provision can be provided on site. The anticipate phased development and timeframe means that the delivery of affordable housing, affordable workspace, infrastructure and other community benefits should be delivered in phases to ensure that the site is sustainable and contributes to meeting local needs in a timely fashion and is not delayed by later stages.
3.88 The majority of the Opportunity Area is well served by public transport including bus routes and railway stations linked to the District, Piccadilly and West London lines, but access to public transport will need to be improved. Planned and committed TfL improvements to services will greatly increase public transport capacity. Development is likely to need a range of transport improvements, and be based on designing in active travel principles into a high quality and inclusive public realm to facilitate walking and cycling as modes of transport. This is expected to be supplemented by very high public transport use.
3.89 Development must also take account of the capacity of the physical infrastructure, particularly for sewerage and surface water management and the ability of the sewerage network to take increased foul and surface water drainage generated by this site. There is a Site of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINC) – along the West London Line south of Earls Court – as well as a borough-wide Grade I site which the council has a duty to protect from development. The West London Line railway corridor is also designated partly as a green corridor. It is important that these ecological resources are protected and enhanced, as well as taking account of Biodiversity Net Gain principles across the whole site. Opportunities should also be explored for the provision or connection into a decentralised energy network
3.90 The FRA Opportunity Area has a strong physical, social and economic context provided by the surrounding communities, the existing urban grain, form and pattern of development of the surrounding residential areas, conservation areas, and town and local centres. New developments must be planned having regard to, and respecting this setting and should reflect the high-quality residential conditions found in the vicinity in both boroughs. Also, owing to the size and scale of the opportunity area, new development should realise the scope for delivering new places of different character, including a varied urban form and density.
3.91 The current planning application identifies 6/7 areas which will be built out in phases over a period of 15-20 years. Whilst a definitive housing and commercial quantum and mix is not yet known, the core principles of placemaking and permeability will need to be reflected at each stage of the build out. Forthcoming Local Plan evidence on tall building and capacity will provide a framework for informing the built form of future phases. Development should be permeable, be based on active travel principles and provide new connections to improve the existing local highway, pedestrian and cycle networks. This will help to ensure that the potential regeneration benefits to the surrounding area are optimised and that people living in both boroughs will benefit.
In principle, some tall buildings may be appropriate in the FRA Opportunity Area ,and will need to be put in context as part of full urban design analysis that considers, in particular, local and longer distance views (e.g. from the riverside), as well as examining the impact on the rest of the Opportunity Area and Conservation Areas in the surrounding area in both boroughs. Overall, the design, layout, massing and density of development should have regard to the local context and setting of local heritage assets. Care needs to be taken to protect and enhance the character and appearance of Brompton Cemetery in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, which is a Grade I Registered Historic Park and Garden of Historic Interest.