Westfield's Expansion Plans Get Go Ahead


John Lewis and other new stores to open by Christmas 2017

As expected, revised plans to expand Westfield in Shepherds Bush, creating thousands of new jobs and more than 1,300 homes, have been given the go-ahead by the council’s planning applications committee.

Westfield London received outline planning permission to further expand its £1 billion development on land north of the shopping centre, including the White City Industrial Estate, from the Planning Applications Committee on Thursday April 3.

Plans are to demolish existing buildings on the site and build new ones, ranging from two to 23 storeys, with up to 1,347 new homes and 61,840sqm of shops, including anchor department store John Lewis.

There will also be cafes, restaurants, offices, a public square, spaces for community, health or cultural use, leisure facilities, along with new pedestrian routes and open spaces, cycle parking, car and motorcycle parking, and new roads.

Westfield has said it hopes to create three separate zones – a retail quarter centred around John Lewis, a residential quarter around a green square, and a piazza around the existing, grade II listed Dimco buildings that would be focus for small shops, leisure and community space. The Dimco piazza does not, however, form part of the current planning application.

Westfield expects to begin building work this year with John Lewis and other new stores opening in time for Christmas 2017. The scheme will bring thousands of jobs to the area, including 600 through the arrival of John Lewis.

Westfield says it is now seeking a residential developer to take on the construction of the new homes, and further detailed planning applications will follow once the developer has been chosen.

You can find out more about Westfield's plans at the dedicated website.

 

March 31, 2014