Crossrail regeneration brings new homes to Ealing and Acton
Many London neighbourhoods have been given a boost as a result of Crossrail, and Ealing and Acton has two that are certainly being transformed.
Both Ealing Broadway and West Ealing stations will also benefit from major improvements. Ealing Broadway’s façade will be replaced by a new glass structure, and an entrance that is twice the size of the current one. There will be a long, curved canopy running the length of the forecourt and an improved ticket hall, double the size of the existing one. Journey times from Ealing Broadway will also be improved: Canary Wharf will just take 25 minutes instead of 43 minutes, time to Bond Street will halve from 22 minutes to just 11, and Heathrow T2 & 3 will take 15 minutes.
As part of the station overhaul, West Ealing will benefit from a new ticket hall, designed to let in plenty of natural light and surrounded by a large canopy. Platforms will be extended, and a new footbridge with both lifts and stairs will connect the platforms to the station, providing step-free access from the street.
Housebuilder St George launched the Dickens Yard development in 2011 before the Crossrail buzz truly began. Just 300 yards from Ealing Broadway station, Dickens Yard will be fully completed in 2019. While prices for a two-bedroom flat at Dickens Yard start from £960,000, there will be a phase of shared ownership flats available at the site. Catalyst Housing is launching 78 flats available on the scheme, with prices from £100,000 for a 25% share for a one-bedroom flat. Find out more about Dickens Yard from St George.
The regeneration in the area extends beyond new homes. St George is redeveloping the old Empire Cinema, which will have a new Picturehouse, more shops, restaurants and new homes.
Ealing council leader Julian Bell says: “The council promised we would bring a cinema back to our town centre and despite many setbacks I am delighted work is finally starting. This is a very exciting time. Crossrail means Ealing is soon going to be more accessible to the rest of London than ever and this development sits at the heart of our plans to revitalise the town centre.”
Acton
Also on the Western section of the line is Acton. Located between Chiswick and White City, Acton is a suburb that has long been overlooked, but that is changing thanks to Crossrail. Average prices in W3 have risen from £337,000 to almost £500,000 in just five years. There are also more development schemes in Acton now, including Countryside Property’s £600m redevelopment of the South Acton Estate, now known as Acton Gardens. Just over a mile from Acton Main Line station, one-bedroom flats are priced from £435,000, but many of the homes at Acton Gardens are available using the shared ownership scheme. Cathy Lloyd, sales and marketing director at L&Q says: “With reports showing that Londoners require an average salary of over £106,000 to purchase their first home, shared ownership homes at Acton Gardens offer first-time buyers a chance to get on to the housing ladder in a sound investment area, with a considerably smaller deposit required.”
Acton Main Line station will be one station that will benefit hugely from significant improvements as part of the Crossrail programme. A new spacious ticket hall means a more welcoming environment for passengers, and a new footbridge and lifts will be put in, so there will be step-free access to every platform. The platforms themselves will be extended in order to accommodate the new trains, which are 200m long.
From December 2019, there will be four Elizabeth line trains serving Acton Main Line, which will considerably speed up journey times. Instead of taking 27 minutes, Crossrail passengers will be able to get to Bond Street in just 9 minutes. Journey time to Heathrow T2 & 3 will drop from 44 minutes to 17 minutes, and Liverpool Street will be just 16 minutes away, instead of 41 minutes.
Crossrail is driving regeneration in Acton, with plans for thousands of new homes and jobs. The Oaklands is a major new development in North Acton, a scheme being brought forward by Genesis Housing Association and Queens Park Rangers FC. The development will be built on land off Old Oak Common Lane which has been unoccupied for 10 years, and will be just a mile away from Action Main Line station. There are also plans to open Old Oak Common railway station in 2026, which will be a major transport interchange with main line and commuter rail services, including Crossrail.
Chief executive of Genesis Housing Association, Neil Hadden says: “We are delighted to be involved in this major regeneration project, which will transform a vast expanse of west London and create much-needed housing, transport links and local amenities.
“We are committed to the future regeneration of Old Oak Common and partnerships such as the one we have with QPR will enable us to invest, not only in building new homes, but in developing new communities.”
QPR co-chairman, Tony Fernandes says: “The Oaklands development will include hundreds of affordable homes for Londoners.”
The Oaklands development promises 605 new homes, 40% of which will be affordable.