'Green village' for canal site

A massive £130 million redevelopment of a former industrial site in west London will turn the 54 acres into a state-of-the-art environmentally-friendly village complete with shops, flats and a marina.

Work on Grand Union Village - named after the canal it straddles in Southall - could begin as early as next month. Developer Taylor Woodrow is in the final stages of agreeing amenities, facilities and community benefits with Ealing and Hillingdon councils. The brownfield site, which currently houses Taylor Woodrow's corporate headquarters, will have 705 new homes, ranging from one to six bedroom units.

One quarter will be affordable housing for rent through housing associations and a further 10 per cent will be priced to be affordable for key workers.

The scheme incorporates a "green travel plan" for the site, which includes a car pool, cycle routes and cycle stores. The developer will also be supporting the diversion of a bus route through the village.

Under the current plans, cafes, shops and walkways will open up part of the canal not currently accessible and a commercial centre, located around a new canal basin, will generate local enterprise. Plans for new leisure facilities include a sports complex and publicly accessible playing fields.

Improvements to the canal will include a new canal basin, and open space provision will comprise children's play area, adventure play area, sports pitches, parkland landscape and areas for wildlife.

A new marina will be connected with the Grand Union Canal and there will be cycle routes and footpaths beyond the village to new public open spaces, the children's play area, informal community meeting places and formal youth facilities.

Also planned are live-work units, a creche, some office space, shops, restaurants and light industrial units.

The plans envisage "green" homes made with construction materials that do not damage the environment and include UK-farmed timber. Low-energy heating boilers are being installed to reduce pollution.

Special bins inside and outside dwellings will be used to collect segregated waste for recycling, and composting facilities will be provided.

Other features will include high home insulation standards, low-energy lighting with sensors fitted to external lights, economy-flush toilets and wiring for home offices. All households will have space to dry clothes outside, in an effort to cut the use of energy-burning tumbledriers.

The development has been designed so that all homes will be located no more than 500m from food shops, medical centre and post office.

A Taylor Woodrow spokesman said: "This major brownfield site will be developed into a modern forward-looking sustainable community in line with the Greater London Authority's recommendations."

Unusually for such a large scheme in a prominent location, the project appears to enjoy the support of the existing residents. Taylor Woodrow began involving the community in open planning meetings and discussions almost two years ago and incorporated many of their views and opinions.

A Community Development Trust has been formed to ensure local people continue to have a say on issues of importance to the area.

Taylor Woodrow will continue to have its construction arm headquarters on the site. It is currently in the final stages of negotiating community benefits worth £4.2 million in Ealing, including £2.5 million for local schools, and £800,000 in Hillingdon.