Old Oak Common Regeneration: ‘Super transport hub’ and ‘Mini-Manhattan’?
Regeneration was the word of the day at the Place West London Conference on the 25thJune. London is currently abuzz with redevelopment projects, aiming to breathe life into some of the poorest areas of the capital.
The most ambitious being the plans for the creation of the country’s largest train station at Old Oak Common in West London. The £50bn regeneration project is proposed to become a stunning transport hub that connects the new proposed station with Central London, Europe (through the Eurostar), The North (through the planned High Speed Two line) and the world, due to Old Oak Common’s proximity to Heathrow.
Located north of Wormwood Scrubs, Old Oak Common’s surrounding area is also part of the mass regeneration project. Run by the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, as well as the London boroughs of Hammersmith and Fulham, Ealing and Brent, the aim is for the area to become a new mini-city, where business thrives and there is a vibrant social scene. The Mayor also suggested that the area could possibly become a ‘mini-Manhattan’, with sprouting skyscrapers and unparalleled transport links.
So how exactly are these plans going to come to life?
The primary aim is for Old Oak Common to become the largest serving train station in the country, connecting two of the UK’s biggest transport developments. Both the new High Speed Two (HS2) railway and Crossrail projects should stop at Old Oak Common, meaning there is access to the North, East and West of the capital.
The proposed route for HS2 means access to Birmingham when the project is complete in 2026 and then Manchester and the north by 2033, while Crossrail will link areas of Berkshire and Buckinghamshire to Essex and South East London through Central London.
Regeneration of the area, which is one of the poorest in London, is about much more than just the travel though. The 30 year plan indicates that the area will be responsible for 19,000 new homes and 90,000 new jobs, as well as the creation of a range of retail, leisure, social and educational facilities. Queens Park Rangers FC is also hoping to relocate to a new 40,000 seat stadium in the area.
Limited parking in the area will attempt to promote the use of sustainable transport and reduce the amount of traffic, with businesses making good use of the transport links at the station.
However, it’s not all plain sailing, as you might expect for a project of this magnitude. A government consultancy about the project revealed that the main worry for locals was the threat towards the parkland of Wormwood Scrubs to the south. Others showed concern about the status of the current inhabitants and businesses of the area.
One of the largest occupiers in the area, Car Giant, are having to be relocated due to the project and their managing director called QPR’s plans for a new stadium by 2018 speculative and presumptuous, while current residents have expressed concerns about the area losing its history and expensive new homes being built, with new businesses attracting affluent buyers, leaving others forced out.
There are also concerns over the true transport benefits that the new station will provide. Will it make access to Heathrow, Central London and Reading any easier, and could it increase traffic congestion? These are questions that we will have to wait to find out the answers to.
One thing that is not in doubt is that Old Oak Common is an ambitious long term project. With many stages of planning and preparation still to come, it remains to be seen whether the mayor’s projections will be met when the regeneration is complete in thirty years’ time. What we can be sure of, however, is that the outcome will change the face of West London forever.
Want more news or editorial from NovaLoca? Why not read our rundown of the Place West London Conference or find out how we got on at the IAS 5 aside tournament in Wembley.
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