£150m boost to White City

A 40-acre redevelopment in White City, next to one of London's most rundown estates, has been given the go-ahead.

More than one million square feet of shops, restaurants and leisure facilities will be built on the derelict site close to the White City council estate, one of the most deprived areas in Europe. About £150 million will be invested in Tube, rail and bus links. The plans include the construction of a Tube station on the Hammersmith and City line and a station on the west London line.

The government approval removes the last barrier to the project that has been debated for five years. The plan has been controversial partly because of its request for 4,500 car parking spaces.

Nigel Hugill, managing director of Chelsfield which owns the brownfield site, said: "This project will help to distribute a bit of development away from the central core of London."