Hammersmith & Fulham Council are discussing a compulsory purchase order for the Earls Court site currently owned by Capital & Counties.
It is reported to be one of the biggest CPOs seen in London in recent years. The order would cover the land at the former Earls Court Exhibition Centre site owned by Capco and Transport for London, as well as the Lillie Bridge Depot which is owned outright by TfL. The plan will go before the full council for approval in September 2019 as part of a their housing strategy.
Council leader Stephen Cowan said: “It is an unusual step for a borough leader to set in motion a plan to CPO land controlled by the Mayor of London and another borough, but we need action and bold decisions.
“This is the most important development site in London but no progress has been made in almost seven years — no schools, no homes, no open space, no improved transport and no jobs for local people.
“We need to bring forward comprehensive redevelopment of the area. We will do proper master planning, make sure all the sites work together and ensure we maximise genuinely affordable housing.”
The CPO is understood not to include the West Kensington and Gibbs Green estates, part of the land for the Earls Court masterplan, and transferred to Capco through a Conditional Land Sale Agreement over which there is a dispute.
Capco’s approved plans, designed by Sir Terry Farrell, included 7500 homes. Some of these have been delivered, but it was reported that the developer wanted to vary the plans, after economic conditions changed.
