Council Says Yes to Two Extra Floors for Westfield
Creating children's centre and expanding Marks and Spencer
Hammersmith and Fulham Council has given the go ahead to Westfield to extend its existing shopping centre at roof level to expand Marks and Spencers and add a new children's education and entertainment centre, to be named Kidzania.
Westfield says the development will create around 400 local jobs.
This site will be in the north east corner of the centre, above Marks and Spencer, with two full floors plus a mezzanine level providing:
i) 3,092 sq m (GIA) of retail floorspace above the new Marks & Spencer to be occupied by Marks & Spencer; and
ii) 7,249 sq m (GIA) of leisure floorspace (split over a full floor and mezzanine level) located above the new Marks & Spencer floor, to be occupied by the children's centre.
Westfield says its plans for a new children’s education and entertainment use will significantly broaden the leisure and entertainment offer within Shepherd’s Bush town centre.
The proposed centre is built as a scaled down replica of a real town or city, providing children with a fun environment to learn by role-playing "work" in a variety of jobs to earn money to be spent in the "city" on goods, services and activities.
Westfield also says it will work with Workzone and Hammersmith and Fulham Council, as well as the venue operator to make sure that as many jobs as possible go to local people.
You can find more details of these plans here.
Now the proposals have beenn approved by Hammersmith and Fulham Council's planning applications committee on Wednesday March 8, Westfield says it expects the new facility to be open in the second half of 2014.
This proposal is in addition to Westfield's plans to build an extension on a site to the north of the current shopping centre. Outline planning permission for this expansion was granted by Hammersmith and Fulham Council on February 16, 2012.
The plans mean the creation of 1,522 new homes, and 550,000 sq ft of retail, along with restaurants, offices and new public open space.
Westfield say the £1 billion regeneration masterplan seeks to redevelop a nine hectare site, either side of Ariel Way, into a "vibrant new pedestrian quarter". The number of homes was scaled down slightly from an earlier application, but still includes around 250 affordable homes.
The development ranges from four to 12 storeys in height with one feature building 20 storeys high.
H & F Council says the project will be built in phases over the next 17 years and will bring up to 6,700 jobs to the area.
Westfield will also contribute £20m toward improvements to the community, including £3.9m for works to Shepherds Bush overground train station, with an extension to the ticket office, a new entrance and for lengthening the platform.
A new bridge and pedestrian footpaths linking east and west of the site will also be built, connecting H&F with Kensington and Chelsea.
May 16, 2013
