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The owner of the Earls Court exhibition centre is set to clash with planning chiefs over its ambitions to redevelop the site as a residential complex with 10,000 homes.
Capital & Counties wants to demolish the exhibition and convention centres in Earls Court to make way for a cluster of towers containing homes and office space.
The proposal goes against what Hammersmith and Fulham council has in mind for the 67-acre site - a £400million International Convention Centre to replace the complex after it hosts the 2012 Olympics volleyball tournament.
CapCo instead wants more exhibitions and conferences to be held at Kensington Olympia, the listed site it also owns, which is outside the Earls Court regeneration area.
CapCo's towers would contain 10,000 homes and six million square feet of office space, as well as shopping and leisure facilities, and a hotel.
Hammersmith's strategy for the area envisages no more than 1,500-2,000 additional homes and a similar number for existing residents, although it states that "there is potential to bring substantially more subject to transport accessibility improvements".
The Earls Court regeneration area also includes the Gibbs Green and West Kensington housing estates.
A council spokesman said: "If carefully planned, this site could deliver the council's ambition to provide a decent neighbourhood with low-cost home ownership opportunities for residents."
Reader views (1)
There was a stitch up between Government and the property developers. Several years ago the Government put a block on any listing the Earl’s Court Exhibition Centre for approx. 5 years in order for redevelopment to take place. Nobody who lives here thinks that bringing the Elephant & Castle to West London is a good idea. This area is already one of the most densely populated areas in Britain and the last thing we want is 1960's Tower Blocks on our doorstep. The vested interests should be watched carefully.
- Peter Harris, London, 20/08/2009 10:25
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