Acton Gardens: Masterplan and Phase 1

Description

The plans for Acton Gardens also include a range of amenities to provide for a thriving community. The new facilities will benefit the whole community and centre on The Hub, with 55,000 sq ft space for community use. This will also include a central plaza with a supermarket, public open space and other community facilities, helping to bring people of all age groups together. Green open space plays a vital role at Acton Gardens, with tree lined streets designed around a series of parks, squares and communal gardens, featuring extensive landscaping, play areas and allotments. In a nod to the traditional appeal of London's parks and squares, the outdoor spaces are designed to create social, lively places for people to relax and enjoy, where pedestrians have priority and community interaction is encouraged. Nearby, South Acton Park also provides a great urban park with mature trees lining the footpaths and a play area for children. The plans also include a proposed new bus route and street network linking with the surrounding area, as well as a car club for residents use. On Phase 1 all upper floor units have as a minimum a balcony that matches or exceeds the London Housing Design Guide requirement for amenity. Ground floor and 1st floor units have private terraced gardens to the street or podium level courtyards. Houses have combinations of terraces and gardens, and apartments (where steppes in the massing allow) have roof top terraces. In addition many units on the northern wing have supplementary winter gardens or additional balconies. All units have access to the first floor amenity courtyard, which has been intensively landscape with trees, planting and 'mogul grassed lawns' to provide a range of environments for residents of all ages. The unique arrangement of blocks will ensure good levels of light to access the courtyard.

Planning History

HTA, with Countryside Properties PLC, L&Q and Alison Brooks Architects won a bid to re-masterplan the regeneration of the South Acton Estate for Ealing Borough Council. Some earlier regeneration sites were in the process of being built out by Catalyst (up to Phase 2.2), following an earlier outline masterplan. Our bid included detailed design for this phase (2.3) and a second phase (2.4) to act as a bridge between the two masterplans. Both Phase 2.3 and the Masterplan for 2,350 dwellings received unanimous support at Planning Committee in 2012, where they gained Planning consent.