Reminder of Boris's September 2011 "Opportunity Areas Planning Frameworks" document

(General OA web page)

Link to PDF file

including:

"Park Royal"

"Park Royal is Europe’s largest industrial estate and the principal industrial area in West London. Together with Willesden Junction, Park Royal extends to 700 hectares across Brent, Ealing and Hammersmith & Fulham boroughs. The Park Royal Opportunity Area currently accomodates some 2,000 businesses employing around 40,000 along with some small-scale residential development. It is estimated that the Opportunity Area could accommodate in the region of 425,000 square metres of commercial and industrial floorspace and some 3,600 residential units.

"London Plan policy 2.13 identifies Park Royal as an Opportunity Area with a target to accommodate 11,000 new jobs and 500 new homes over the next 20 years. The area is primarily comprised of employment uses including manufacturing, distribution/ logistics and TV/film. The area is home to world-class companies, household names and hundreds of small and medium-sized firms.

"The majority of the area will remain as Strategic Industrial Land, exploiting its potential to meet modern logistics and waste management requirements, making good use of its access to Heathrow and the West End, strategic road and rail connections, and seeking to develop its potential for water freight.

"The area benefits from the activities of the Park Royal Partnership (PRP), composed of the three councils along with business members, and supported by the Greater London Authority, the London Development Agency and Transport for London. PRP drives forward improvements and lobbies on behalf of businesses as part of a broader strategy to raise the quality of the environment, improve public transport, promote business growth and deliver training and recruitment to get local people into work. [2013: it no longer seems to have a web site!]

"Economic and land-use research shows that, while there is pressure for residential development and conversion to other higher value non-industrial uses, demand for industrial land is constant, and land will continue to be required for employment use.

"Local businesses have expressed the view that improving access to public transport, providing more amenities, and upgrading the environment would benefit their operations and attract more investment and employment to the estate.

"In light of London Plan policy, a development capacity study has been undertaken. The OAPF identifies four gateways, and a Neighbourhood Centre, with capacity to accommodate more intense mixed-use development with approximately 294,849 sq.m commercial space and 3,500 residential units.

"Old Oak Common has recently been identified as having potential for a new west London hub for HS2 and Crossrail interchange. This proposal would dramatically influence the future development potential of Park Royal as a whole, and this area in particular, in view of its improved accessibility. This is a longer term proposal that would result in the significant regeneration of a large area of currently underutilised railway land. It may result in some rethink of the Strategic Industrial Location, in view of the improved accessibility in the area."

"Adopted: 2011"