Member Article

Berkeley breaks ground at 'one of the most complex regeneration sites in Britain'

Construction has gotten underway at an 88-acre residential development in West London that is being described as one of the most complex regeneration efforts in the UK.

The development at the former gasworks site in Southall will deliver 3,750 new homes when it is complete along with a new business and leisure hub, community buildings and a significant public open space portion.

Work to clear the Southall Waterside site started over two years ago with 250,000 cubic metres of contaminated land cleaned using a soil hospital the size of 12 Olympic swimming pools.

The land itself previously housed the gas works facility from 1869 until it was decommissioned in 1972. The site was subsequently utilised as a car park servicing Heathrow Airport until Berkeley acquired the land back in 2014.

Councillor Julian Bell, Leader of Ealing Council, welcomed the new development and said it would help to unlock more jobs and regeneration in the area.

He said: “Southall is being transformed and this impressive development is an important part of our plan to regenerate the area.

“Southall Waterside will deliver thousands of much needed new homes as well as jobs, shops and community facilities.

“I am particularly pleased that this new community will integrate with those around it - the new western access road has vastly improved the scheme and will help ensure congestion is reduced.”

Set to be delivered over the next 25 years with the first tranche of homes to be released in 2019, the new village will look to complement the existing Southall town centre and inject £47m into the local economy.

Tony Pidgley CBE, Chairman of the Berkeley Group, believes the size and scale of the project means that the developer is delivering more than just new homes and infrastructure.

He explained: “Southall Waterside is about much more than buildings or infrastructure. It’s about creating a real community where the residents feel proud and people look out for each other.

“This is a really extraordinary site – 36 times the size of Trafalgar Square – and we are going to turn it into one of the best new villages in London.”