Earl's Court 'will become a thriving nappy valley'

 
8 July 2013

The developer behind west London’s biggest regeneration plan hit back at critics today by claiming it will create a thriving new “nappy valley” neighbourhood for families.

Property company Capco, given the go-ahead for the £8 billion Earl’s Court scheme by Boris Johnson last week, now only needs the green light from Communities Secretary Eric Pickles.

An estate of four new “villages” will be built over the next decade on an area currently occupied by run-down council housing, railway depots and Earls Court exhibition centre.

Labour has condemned the plan as “social engineering”, because although the 760 homes currently on the Gibbs Green and West Kensington estates will be replaced in the new scheme, they will be heavily outnumbered by new private houses and apartments.

But Gary Yardley, investment director of Capco, said the plans would transform one of central London’s most deprived areas. He compared it to the gentrification of Battersea and Clapham, where Northcote Road has one of the most envied selection of independent food shops and stalls in the capital.

He said: “My dad used to run a fruit and vegetable stall in Northcote Road so I’ve seen the changes that have taken place there. There is no reason exactly the same shouldn’t happen to the North End Road.

“All it needs is for the regeneration to take place and it will happen naturally. The make-up of this part of London is the same as around Clapham and there is no reason why this scheme can’t have the same transformational effect.”

Capco claims that its scheme will see close to £1 billion of benefits for the public sector while requiring no taxpayer support.

Mr Pickles is expected to refuse to call in the project for public inquiry. However, it is still subject to a judicial review hearing in the High Court.

Demolition work on the first phase of the scheme, known as Lillie Square, is due to start this autumn.

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