A major redevelopment project for Earl's Court has successfully cleared its first significant planning hurdle after receiving unanimous approval from the Hammersmith and Fulham Council planning committee. The ambitious scheme, designed by a consortium of renowned architectural firms, still requires final approval from the neighboring Kensington and Chelsea Council since the 16-hectare largely abandoned brownfield site spans both boroughs.
The Earl's Court Development Company (ECDC) submitted a comprehensive hybrid application for the masterplan last September, following years of extensive community consultation. The masterplan was designed by HawkinsBrown, Studio Egret West, and SLA, while detailed plans for the site's first buildings were created by Maccreanor Lavington, Sheppard Robson, Serie, DRMM, ACME, and Haworth Tompkins.
The initial phase of development will deliver up to 1,300 new homes and feature a striking 42-story landmark skyscraper designed by Sheppard Robson. This tower will be the only structure on the site taller than the existing Empress State Building, which was designed by Stone, Toms and Partners in 1962. Beyond residential units, the comprehensive regeneration of the former exhibition center site includes 230,000 square meters of workspace, three cultural venues, and 8 hectares of new public spaces.
The current proposals replace Terry Farrell's unrealized vision that was developed for the site's former owner, Capco. In 2019, Capco sold the property to its current owners: a joint venture between Delancey, Dutch pension fund manager APG, and Transport for London. This ownership change brought fresh momentum and new architectural vision to the long-stalled project.
Despite receiving approval, the scheme faced considerable opposition from local communities and preservation groups. The project received 74 formal objections from local residents through the Hammersmith and Fulham Council website. Additionally, several prominent local organizations jointly opposed the development, including the Hammersmith Society, Fulham Society, Kensington Society, Earl's Court Society, Lillie Road Residents Association, and the London Forum.
The opposing groups raised several significant concerns about the development's impact on the local area. Their primary objections focused on the development's excessive density, potential overshadowing issues that could reduce daylight for existing residents, and possible negative impacts on local heritage assets. According to the planning officers' report prepared for the November 26 committee meeting, these groups also criticized the scheme's design quality as disappointing and argued that using different architects for each building reduced overall coherence across the site.
However, the project also garnered substantial public support, receiving 269 comments in favor of the development. This support ultimately contributed to the planning committee's unanimous decision to approve the plans. The positive response highlighted community desire for regeneration of the long-underutilized site and recognition of its potential benefits for the broader area.
ECDC Chief Executive Rob Heasman celebrated the milestone approval, emphasizing the extensive community engagement that shaped the final design. "This marks a major milestone, following years of active listening and engagement with local communities and the development of designs that are truly reflective of Earl's Court's heritage as a place that dared to showcase, to entertain and celebrate the spectacular," Heasman stated. He described the project as creating "a new district in West London: a long-underused, centrally located site with exceptional connectivity to deliver new homes, jobs and public space at scale—a strategic part of London's growth agenda."
The approved plans include diverse housing options and cultural facilities designed by the various architectural firms. Serie Architects designed a student residential building, while dRMM focused on affordable housing components. Haworth Tompkins and Maccreanor Lavington are creating both residential homes and significant cultural offerings. ACME is developing a workspace hub on a plot off Warwick Road, adding to the mixed-use nature of the development.
Looking ahead, ECDC expressed optimism about moving forward quickly, pending final approvals from Kensington and Chelsea. "We now look forward to the plans being considered by the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea planning committee and working with public and private sector partners to move into delivering the first phase of this project," Heasman added. The company plans to begin construction as soon as possible, with enabling work scheduled to start next year. The first residents are expected to move in during 2030, with the complete build-out extending through 2041, marking nearly two decades of construction and development for this transformative London project.
