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Application Number: PP/23/06575
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Ballymore and Sainsbury’s joint venture submits plans for major new canalside neighbourhood in Ladbroke Grove
Over 2,500 new homes, two new parks, restored canal basin and high street proposed for the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea on brownfield site
2,519 new homes, with a mix of sizes and types including at least 500 affordable homes.
New green and open spaces, including new public parks, play areas and a restored canal basin.
A new high street with local shops and places to work, including a new Sainsbury’s store and café.
Improved transport on Ladbroke Grove with an improved junction and bus stops, as well as better links to the canalside path.
A new community hub for everyone to enjoy, with spaces for new businesses, charities and community groups to flourish in affordable workspace.
The planning application has been submitted following three years of close consultation with the local community and stakeholders.
Ballymore and Sainsbury’s have submitted a planning application for a major new canalside neighbourhood in Ladbroke Grove. The proposed new neighbourhood has been designed to deliver 2,519 new homes, of which at least 500 will be affordable, plus two new parks and a new local high street with a reinstated, historic canal basin at its heart. Plans also include over 90,000 sq ft of retail and leisure as well as a new Sainsbury’s Supermarket (130,000 sq ft).
The new neighbourhood would deliver much-needed new homes for London on a brownfield site already allocated for development by RBKC and the GLA / Mayor of London. The 19-acre site is the largest remaining brownfield site in RBKC, a large proportion of the site has been closed off to the public for over 40 years as a former gasworks site. In addition to the current Sainsbury’s Ladbroke Grove Supermarket, the site has most recently been occupied by industrial uses, including a scrap metal processing and commercial storage. Bordering the Grand Union Canal to the north and railway tracks to the south, the site is part of the Kensal Canalside Opportunity Area.
The masterplan, by FaulknerBrowns Architects, has been shaped over the last three years, in close consultationwith the local community, local councillors, planning officers and, the GLA to shape a place that meets the area’s current and future needs. These contributions have been invaluable in guiding the design process and prompting significant adaptations. The architectural design approach takes its inspiration from local Regency and Victorian architecture, as well as its setting close to Kensal Green Cemetery, the Grand Union Canal and the wider area’s rich cultural mix.
Two new public parks and inclusive play spaces, designed by landscape architecture and design practice Spacehub, form part of the proposals, as well as diverse natural habitats and interventions to support urban wildlife and biodiversity net gain, which include grassland, woodland, wetland and canal basin habitats. In total, the neighbourhood will offer over 8.5 acres of high quality, publicly accessible open space.
Situated just 15-20 minutes’ walk from four tube stations (Kensal Green, Kensal Rise, Ladbroke Grove and Westbourne Park), the plans encourage sustainable travel with new bus stops, pedestrian links and cycle routes and improved access to the canalside path. In response to Transport for London’s focus on active travel and pedestrian and cyclist safety as a priority, new signalised junctions will be introduced on Ladbroke Grove and Kensal Road.
A comprehensive sustainability strategy aims to maximise renewable generation and green infrastructure, for zero emissions on site, with heating and cooling provided by air source heat pumps, solar photovoltaics together with sustainable urban drainage systems. The scheme has been based on sustainable design and construction practices, adopting circular economy principles, and considers resource efficiency, material circularity and ethical procurement.
John Mulryan, Group Managing Director, Ballymore, said:
“Kensal Canalside is one of the last remaining major brownfield sites to be developed in London and the largest in RBKC. The scale and location of the site – in one of London’s 48 Opportunity Areas – presents a real opportunity to create a new, thoughtfully designed, accessible and sustainable canalside neighbourhood with strong transport links.
“There are over 3,000 households on RBKC’s housing waiting list. Our proposals will make a positive contribution towards reducing that figure. Kensal Canalside will provide a significant number of much-needed homes, plus a variety of retail spaces as well as open green spaces and a new community leisure and amenity space that our residents and the local people can enjoy.”
Bruno Moore, Head of Town Planning Policy and Transport, Sainsbury’s, adds:
“The development of the Kensal Canalside Opportunity Area will revitalise a key brownfield site in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, delivering places for people to live, work, shop and relax, and providing a significant boost to the local economy.
“The site will allow us to deliver a brand-new Sainsbury’s store for the local community to enjoy, stocking a wider range of our award-winning food and non-food products and providing our customers with a fantastic shopping experience. The store, which will also have a green garden roof, will be bright and spacious, and feature a well-lit café serving high-quality food and drink.”
Ben Sykes, Partner at FaulknerBrowns Architects, said:
“The masterplan is inspired by its characterful setting, where Ladbroke Grove meets the sweeping Grand Union Canal and the open space at Kensal Green. In response, our design has been built around public spaces, including a restored canal basin, play spaces and adding new gardens and groves to the borough, to create a series of smaller neighbourhoods with a rich mix of uses and a strong sense of personality and place.
We are delighted to see the proposals submitted, after working with local residents, the local council, Ballymore, Sainsbury’s and the entire project team for almost four years, to research, design and develop the masterplan.”
The development will create a minimum of 2,000 permanent long-term jobs and a significant boost to the local economy amounting to approximately £37 million annually. The scheme will also deliver funding for social infrastructure within the local community such as healthcare and schools. The Notting Hill Carnival, which launches from the site, will be preserved as a close and long-term partner, and plans to create a new family friendly Carnival experience are being explored.
If planning is successful, the 11-year construction programme is estimated to start in 2025. The first homes will be delivered in 2030, along with the new Sainsbury’s store and the neighbourhood centre around the new canal basin.
