For a few years now, redevelopment plans worth £10,000,000,000 have been in place to bring the ‘wonder’ back to a West London area traditionally characterised by quiet Victorian streets.
The Earls Court Exhibition Centre might’ve closed its doors in 2014 and been demolished one year later in 2015, but to this day, it remains part of the local history, having hosted the likes of David Bowie, Bombay Bicycle Club, Oasis and even Led Zeppelin on its stage.
Fast forward to 2025, and the plans are taking their final steps towards reality as the Earls Court Development Company (ECDC) looks to receive the green light for planning permission to completely rehaul the site.
As per its X (formerly Twitter) profile, the company wants to create ‘a place the world will watch with wonder,’ labelling the brownfield site an ‘iconic’ place of ‘human ingenuity.’
The redevelopment will see 4,000 new homes built across 44 acres of land (20 of which will be green space), as well as 1,000 new trees planted, 12,000 new jobs created, and ‘up to’ 100 cafes, restaurants and shops opened.
Plus, there’ll be three cultural venues and some office space, for a bit of balance between work and pleasure.
But it’s a long road ahead, as the project’s complexity means the first residents aren’t expected to move in until 2030 at the earliest – with the remainder of the build taken in phases in the 2040s.
However, the plans haven’t been without controversy, as many local residents have expressed their disdain for the project. 345 letters of objection were sent to Kensington & Chelsea Council, while Hammersmith & Fulham received 57 – bringing the total to 432.
Notably, many voiced their concern about a new cycle lane increasing traffic on an already-busy Warwick Road, while local groups like the Kensington Society and the London Forum opposed it on the basis that the new homes could be accompanied by costly service charges and even ‘over-population’ of the local area.
‘I live on the junction of this road and Nevern Square and believe me, the traffic already as it is needs to be seen to be believed. Buses hardly move, in fact people hop off the bus here and walk, having to cross the very fast dangerous A road, thinking it’s quicker,’ one resident objected, as per reports in Hammersmith Today.
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‘What about ambulances that use this road too? I love cycling myself but I strongly object to adding this lane to one of the most contested thoroughfares in London.’
‘Wow, whose brain thought that having a cycle [lane] would not cause more congestion on Warwick Road? Living in Earl’s Court Square for over 30 years, my only access is on Warwick Road. Sometimes [it] takes me 10 minutes from Earl’s Court Road to the square because of congested 3 lanes. This is ludicrous,’ another added.
On the other hand, though, the scheme did receive 157 letters of support for its efforts to build affordable housing during London’s housing crisis – though of the 4,000 new homes, under half (35%) will be affordable, as per the organisation’s targets.
Over on Reddit, @cgyguy81 noted they were hoping the redevelopment ‘would match or even exceed King’s Cross,’ while @coldbrew_latte labelled the news ‘really exciting.’
In local @s199320’s opinion, the area is completely ‘underrated’ – and they hope that this redevelopment, though they labelled it ‘soulless,’ would ‘boost the price’ of their ‘early 20th-century mansion flat down the road quite nicely.’
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