32 Storey Skyscraper Planned for Park Royal


Eight tower blocks to fill Carphone Warehouse headquarters site

The former Carphone Warehouse headquarters in Park Royal is to be replaced with a 32 storey skyscraper and seven other tower blocks if plans that have been presented to Ealing Council gain approval.

32 Storey Skyscraper Planned for Park Royal

The development, which would be the tallest in West London, would dominate the skyline and be visible from large parts of Acton as well as Ealing, Shepherd's Bush and the north part of Chiswick.

The proposal is being put forward by Crosstree Real Estate Management Ltd a Jersey based private equity company. They have submitted a phased outline planning for the demolition of all existing buildings and the redevelopment of the site through construction of 8 blocks ranging in height from 6 to 32 storeys to incorporate up to 764 residential flats and up to 4,814 sq.m (GEA) of commercial space. The application site comprises an area of approximately 1.85 hectares located within the Southern Gateway in the Park Royal Opportunity Area. The site is bound by the A4000 to the north, Portal Way to the west and south and Wales Farm Road to the east. The existing site comprises approximately 14,000 sq m of space. Approximately 7,400 sq m of this is across the ground floor and 6,600 sq m on the first floor. 2.4 The site currently includes 235 car parking spaces: 71 surface and 164 basement.

one portal way carphone warehouse

The current buildings on the site

A detailed pre-application consultation and discussion on the scheme has been had with officers at the Ealing Council and the Greater London Authority.

A council spokesperson said:

“We are looking at feedback we have had from residents and others regarding the plans submitted and will review those plans in relation to planning policy and the community input fully prior to any recommendation to support or refuse this scheme. This is a large, complex and evolving proposal so we would not expect any decisions by the planning committee before much later in the spring.”

Near the site at the junction of Chase Road and Victoria Road detailed planning permission has given for a building rising to 18 storeys comprising 673 sq m of flexible commercial floorspace and 150 residential units. The site of the former BBC Costume Store (Gypsy Corner) provides a 730 bed, 18 storey student accommodation development. The site at 1 Victoria Road was granted permission for the development of a mixed-use scheme comprising 5 buildings ranging from 7 to 19 storeys.

one portal way map

Map from the developers showing location of site

The building is currently occupied by Dixons Carphone. Dixons Carphone have made clear that they do not wish to remain in the current offices in the long term. Indeed their aim is to find a new site within the vicinity of North Acton Station, to build a new HQ building to operate from.

The developers say that local policy identifies specific locations as being suitable for tall buildings of which the Southern Gateway is one.

If built the main tower at One Portal Way may not be tallest in West London for long as reportedly plans are being developed for a 42 storey structure at Chiswick Roundabout called Gateway Tower.

You can make comments for the redevelopment of the site at One Portal Way on Ealing Council's web site.

 

February 18, 2015