Old Oak – a whole new town planned for west London

Old Oak – Image HSE

Up to 25,000 new homes, shops, restaurants, new park beside the Grand Union Canal

A whole new town is planned for west London, to be built on a brownfield site, industrial land at Old Oak and Park Royal spanning the three London boroughs of Brent, Ealing and Hammersmith & Fulham.

The project is expected to provide 25,000 new homes, built over a period of 30 years on 70 acres of land, and to create 56,000 new jobs. The new town will be called ‘Old Oak’.

The driving force of the development has been HS2, the new high speed railway link connecting London and Birmingham, for which the new Old Oak Common station is currently being built.

HS2 station at Old Oak; artist’s impression HS2

Capitalising on the economic boost of the new high speed rail link HS2

The station, when it is completed, will be the UK’s leading passenger transport superhub, providing connections with the Elizabeth Line, giving access to Heathrow and central London in ten minutes.

It is beginning to take shape: the platforms have been installed, and along with the associated development around it, the new station will generate an extra £10 billion for the local economy here in west London over the next decade, according to HS2 from Trains to Cranes, an independent report carried out for HS2.

‘Savvy investors have spotted the opportunity around London’s new transport superhub years in advance and have seized it’, say HS2.

HS2 station at Old Oak taking shape; HS2

London property developers, City & Docklands, have already invested in the area, opening One West Point, London’s tallest residential tower outside of Canary Wharf, in 2022. As London’s 16th tallest building, the new development boasts 701 apartments, with extensive landscaped gardens, courtyards, and roof terraces.

Since its completion, City & Docklands has delivered a further 241 build-to-rent homes at Mitre Yard, together with the delivery of 208 units at adjacent development North Kensington Gate in May, just 10 minutes’ walk from Old Oak Common station, and the company has plans for more in the local area.

Old Oak on the map: HS2

Ealing Council sets out its vision for the new town’s community

Overseeing the development of the new town is the Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation, (OPDC) administered by the office of the Mayor of London, but Ealing Council will be responsible for the community, said Leader of Ealing Council Cllr Peter Mason.

The Council has just published a ‘legacy framework’ setting out its priorities: ‘to make sure the new town would benefit existing residents and businesses, and not just new ones moving into the new town’.

Artist’s impression; OPDC

Cllr Mason said:

“While OPDC is the local planning authority and regeneration agency for the area, Ealing Council remains the custodian of the communities, residents, and businesses within it.

“We are committed to further deepening our strong working relationship with OPDC to ensure that Old Oak offers meaningful, long-term opportunities for all our residents and businesses.”

Grand Union Canal; photograph OPDC

New parks and affordable homes

The Council’s vision includes new parks, more jobs and affordable homes.

WestTech London will have a key role to play, making Old Oak one of its key sites. WestTech London is an ambitious project by Imperial College to expand the role of life sciences in west London, developing it as ‘a global powerhouse for innovation and entrepreneurship, creating jobs, attracting investment and cementing the UK’s position as a leader in science and technology’.

Imperial’s other main west London locations are South Kensington-Albertopolis, Paddington Life Sciences, and White City Innovation District.

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Old Oak station taking shape; HS2

Old Oak station is being built to handle 250,000 passengers a day, making it “one of the busiest and best connected places in the UK”, says Huw Edwards, HS2’s Stations and Placemaking Director.

The result will be “utterly transformative”, he says, delivering “better journeys and economic growth”. There will be new shops, restaurants, services and amenities for travellers and residents.

Work going on at Old Oak station site; HS2

Ealing Council has put down a marker that it expects 1,000 of the 25,000 new homes to be social housing and employers based at Old Oak to pay the London Living Wage.

The framework asks for a range of housing to be provided, including homes for older residents, care leavers, families, and those needing specialist accommodation. It also states the need to include temporary housing sites in the OPDC area for immediate use, to help homeless families.

It also sets out an ambition of at least four hectares of new open space – the equivalent of almost six football pitches – with a minimum of 60% of it in a single location.

The town will have the Grand Union Canal running through it, as the focal point of a new regional park.

Old Oak new town plan; OPDC

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