A massive £3 billion canalside housing development in west London close to the route of the Notting Hill Carnival has been given the green light.
Kensington & Chelsea council approved a planning application from developers Ballymore and supermarket giant Sainsbury’s in a four to one vote at a three hour planning committee meeting last night.
It means the Irish property company has the all clear on start work on the vast scheme next to the Grand Union canal near Ladbroke Grove in 2026 after four years of planning and consultation.
The development, known as Kensal Canalside, will be one of the biggest new housing schemes in London.
It will deliver 2,519 new homes, of which at least 500, or around 20%, will be affordable as well as two parks and a local high street with new offices, shops, cafes and restaurants.
It will be built around a restored canal basin and will include more than 8.5 acres of publicly accessible open space with grassland, woodland, and wetland habitats .
The masterplan, by FaulknerBrowns, also include a new flagship 60,000 sq ft Sainsbury’s superstore with car parking underground. The existing supermarket will be demolished to make way for flats.
The proposed neighbourhood will be built on a 19-acre former gasworks site, much of which has been closed off to the public for over 40 years. Since the closure of the gasworks it has been used for a scrap metal processing and commercial storage.
It will take 11 years to build out with the first homes and the supermarket completed by 2030. Ballymore and Sainsbury’s agreed a 60/40 strategic partnership to develop the 19 acre site in 2021.
The site is currently used as part of the carnival's operations, includes areas for staging and the J’Ouvert morning celebration, a traditional opening event involving dancing, music, and colourful displays.
Ballymore, controlled by Irish businessman Seán Mulryan, has said that construction teams will work with organisers each year to ensure adequate facilities are maintained during the August bank holiday weekend when the carnival takes place.
Planning documents filed with the council suggest that the development — dubbed Project Flourish — has been “designed with a conscious effort to retain the carnival both during the construction programme and in the future,” according to the Irish Post.
John Mulryan, group managing director, Ballymore, said: “We are pleased that the RBKC planning committee has given approval for our project at Kensal Canalside. This will be an exemplar project, showing how we can turn a complex, former gasworks into a thriving place full of character delivering over 2,500 much needed new homes. Kensal Canalside will bring thousands of jobs, a new high street, leisure spaces - all of which will be game changing not just for the people who’ll move here, but for thousands of residents in the wider community.”
Patrick Dunne, chief property & procurement officer, MD Smart Charge, Sainsbury’s, said: “We’re thrilled that the council has granted us permission to build on this track record and deliver a groundbreaking new development for Ladbroke Grove.
“From our development partners to our brilliant store team and everyone in the Ladbroke Grove and surrounding neighbourhoods, I’d like to express my thanks for all the incredible support we’ve received for this project so far. We’re excited to be taking the next steps towards delivering it, working closely with the local community as we go, and we’ll keep everyone updated on our progress.”
Elizabeth Campbell, Leader of Kensington and Chelsea Council, said: “This is a major milestone for the borough. We have very little space to build in Kensington and Chelsea and a very high demand for housing, so it’s absolutely crucial that the opportunity is grasped with both hands at Kensal Canalside. I hope it won’t be long before the developer can get on with the job of building over 2,500 much-needed homes, 500 of those will be affordable. It will be a change for the area, but I look forward to it becoming a happy neighbourhood and a new amazing space, offering homes and community for many people in the near future.”
James Husband, chairman of the planning committee, said:“We gave detailed consideration to the application over almost three hours last night. The number of homes is very significant in the context of our borough and in the end the public benefit outweighed the harms. At a vote of four to one, the committee agreed to resolve to grant planning permission.”
The development will create at least 2,000 permanent jobs. Heating and cooling will be provided by air source heat pumps and the development will feature solar panels and sustainable urban drainage systems.
