St James lodges plans for 1,465-home White City development

The plans propose the comprehensive redevelopment and regeneration of 4.3 hectares of land to the east of White City London Underground Station, following the demolition of a 22,000 square metre warehouse currently used by retailer Marks and Spencer.

The scheme includes up to 1,465 new homes in a mix of studio, one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom units. All of the proposed homes will have access to a private balcony or terrace under the plans. Affordable housing provision will be subject to detailed discussions with LBHF, but the proposals allow for the delivery of an extra care facility for over 55 year olds as part of the affordable housing element.

St James has proposed approximately 22,000 sq m of publicly accessible open space within the development site, including a public park to be known as 'White City Green' and nearly 4,000 sq m of semi-communal gardens. Up to 3,450 sq m of floorspace for shops, cafes and restaurants; 1,910 sq m for leisure use; 1,910 sq m for health and community uses; up to 1,000 sq m of office space; and up to 595 car parking spaces have also been proposed.

The development site lies within the White City East area, identified in LBHF's local plan documents for the delivery of up to 4,500 new homes. Detailed plans were submitted for the 435-home first phase of development, with outline consent sought for the remaining four phases.

The planning statement submitted with the application said that the proposed scheme "comprises a high quality and sustainable design that respects the evolving surrounding context and would assist the regeneration aspirations of the White City Opportunity Area to be realised."

"The proposals would provide much needed housing for the borough and considerable community benefits, most notably through the provision of White City Green, which comprises a considerable area of publicly accessible open space," said the statement.