Co-living in London: huge short-stay rental block with wellness centre and performing arts space approved in former taxi HQ

A huge communal living block of rooms for millennials overlooking the Grand Union Canal in west London has been given the go-ahead by Westminster council.

The Collective Westbourne Park, which will have 286 short-stay co-living rooms, is thought to be one of the most central developments of its kind in London.

The building, on the site of the former headquarters of the Licensed Taxi Drivers’ Association, will have a gym, large “MasterChef-style” communal kitchen, wellness centre and cinema screening room.

There will also be a performing arts space and a public square at the development.

Rooms can be booked for anything from one night to several months.

Rents at the 550-room block run by the same company in Old Oak, North Acton, cost from £1,083 per month for a 12-month stay, while a single room at their Camden facility is advertised from £260 per week.