Plans to redevelop the Seagrave Road car park site in Earls Court into a residential quarter containing more than 800 new homes were approved last night by Hammersmith and Fulham Council.
 
Owner Capital & Counties Properties’ (CapCo) scheme will see the existing car park replaced with 808 new homes, 200 of which will be affordable, and a new public garden square. Approval of the plans throws the future of the Earls Court exhibition site into further doubt.
 
Some of the homes at Seagrave Road are earmarked for the relocation of residents of the Gibbs Green and West Kensington Estates in the event that CapCo’s masterplan is approved. The three hectares site is located to the south of the Earls Court exhibition centre site and to the west of West Brompton station.
 
As announced in December, CapCo has a conditional agreement with the Kwok family to form a 50:50 joint venture in the area. Completion of the joint venture is expected upon expiry of the three-month statutory period which follows finalisation of the planning agreement and sign off from the Mayor of London.
 
“We are delighted by the council’s decision on Seagrave Road,” said CapCo chief executive Ian Hawksworth. “It confirms our long-term view of the value which can be unlocked from CapCo’s holdings in the area through a residential-led scheme. The site is an exciting opportunity to begin the transformation of the area, creating hundreds of new homes and jobs.”
 
However the application has come under fire from a number of local consultees, including a high-profile statement from Chelsea Football Club. The club is currently investigating moving to other local sites and would consider a new stadium on the regenerations site at Earls Court with ample conference and exhibition facilities.
 
Prior to the meeting, Chelsea FC made a written submission stating any decisions on the Earls Court masterplan application be deferred until the Supplementary Planning Document (SPD), which would be the overall planning document for the area, has been adopted.
 
Consultation on the SPD and plans to include the Gibbs Green and West Kensington Estates ends on 12 March.
 
“We have made representations to the local authority and the Greater London Authority on several occasions with regards to this SPD,” Chelsea FC said before the meeting. “These are vital to ensure we protect our long-term position regarding potential development sites in west London fora strategic leisure, cultural and visitor attraction, including a stadium, in line with the London Plan of October 2010.”
 
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