Imperial West gets regeneration go-ahead

Hammersmith & Fulham Council has given planning permission for Imperial College London's Imperial West proposals which will create 3,200 new jobs and lead the regeneration of White City, creating new businesses and a range of local employment opportunities. The 7 acre site on Wood Lane will become a new technology campus for Imperial College London delivering research, commercial application, translation and collaboration with industry, side by side with postgraduate education. It will build on and further develop the College's existing strengths in engineering, the physical sciences and biomedicine and will become a second major campus for Imperial College London.

The key benefits of the Imperial West proposals, designed by Aukett Fitzroy Robinson and PLP Architecture also include provision of incubator facilities for new and young companies which, when fully established, will be looking to expand into the employment areas around White City; new nursery and tertiary education facilities on site, and the expansion of the Imperial Outreach Programme to local secondary schools; and public access to open spaces, health and fitness facilities and commercial outlets.

John Anderson, Imperial West Project Director, said;

"Imperial West will provide a wide range of opportunities right across the employment spectrum. Jobs directly generated by Imperial College will include academic professionals from professors to research assistants, laboratory technicians, a range of administrative posts, cleaners, catering assistants, security officers and maintenance workers. There will also be highly skilled technical and administration jobs in the incubator and offices and for healthcare professionals, combined with jobs in retail, health and fitness, hospitality, childcare and community facilities."

"Imperial West will build on and further develop the College's existing strengths in engineering, the physical sciences and biomedicine and will become a second major campus for Imperial College London. The re-development will improve the urban environment, visual appearance and access to a site which had been closed to the public for many decades."

"This decision is good news for White City, for Hammersmith & Fulham and for London, and will provide Imperial College with new postgraduate teaching and research facilities which will ensure it remains one of the world's leading academic institutions."