Welcome & background Essential Living welcomes you to this community involvement event introducing the proposed redevelopment of The Perfume Factory, North Acton. EXISTING SITE PLAN AERIAL VIEW OF SITE The vision for the site is to create a vibrant, high quality mixed-use development that seeks to be one of the best Private Rented Sector (PRS) developments in London. We aim to provide an exceptional environment that combines high quality homes, landscaping and associated facilities alongside modern, flexible commercial and office space. At today s exhibition you can see the draft proposals for the site. We would welcome your feedback on the proposals prior to the finalisation of a planning application. Please speak to a member of the team if you have any questions and we would be very grateful if you would fill in one of our feedback forms. All comments will be carefully considered before the submission of the planning application. Essential Living has assembled an outstanding team to deliver this exciting project. Leading UK architectural practice Squire and Partners has been retained to design a refined, crafted and purpose made development that will add further impetus to the wider regeneration of the area. Recent examples of squire and Partners Schemes
Redefining home rental Essential Living is a London-based development and management company set up in 2012 to specialise in the provision of high quality accommodation in the Private Rented Sector (PRS). With 300m equity backing from M3 Capital Partners, a global fund manager controlling American pension fund money, it is the first UK business seeking to replicate the successful American model of using institutional finance to fund home rental. ESSENTIAL LIVING SCHEMES We believe today s renters are entitled to vibrant and inspiring places to live, which is why we are raising the standards and challenging perceptions of traditional rental in the UK. We want to create new communities where homes function alongside modern, flexible office, leisure and retail uses. The synthesis of living and working is key to Essential Living s vision and that is why we will re-provide the existing office space at the Perfume Factory in a new, dynamic environment. With London property prices rising at an unprecedented rate and many people, particularly those under 40, struggling to buy their own home, the PRS model is a timely solution to an increasing need. We are setting out to rewrite the rules on rental by building and operating a portfolio of large-scale professionally managed rental developments. Renting is convenient and easy looks after your needs connects you to where you want to be Government policy has acknowledged the growing need for decent privately rented homes and industry experts expect the private rented sector to grow by one million households over the next five years. By 2018, it is anticipated that one in five households will be renting in the private sector a total of 5.7 million in England. gives you flexibility and choice makes you feel safe gives you an exceptional quality home gives you more space gives you ownership gives you access to a preferred lifestyle Far more than simply an exercise in volume, our vision is to bring exceptional quality, sustainability and customer service to our residents, while providing vibrant and positive development for our cities and communities. We are long-term owners and managers of our sites and this allows us to create places for people where they can be proud to live and work and which have real longevity. The new rules of renting
Context Located on Wales Farm Road, North Acton and at a key entrance point to the Park Royal Opportunity Area, the site is currently occupied by buildings totalling approximately 79,000 sq ft. incorporating offices, storage space and showrooms. Surface level car parking provides approximately 220 spaces. Old Oak Common Boundary Heights/Uses diagram The Perfume Factory was the first UK location of Elizabeth Arden cosmetics, with the original building designed by Wallis, Gilbert & Partners in 1939. The factory was constructed on previously undeveloped land but in an area that was undergoing rapid development including both industry and housing. Both the Mayor of London and Ealing Council have separately identified important opportunities to regenerate the area, known as the Southern Gateway, in which the Perfume Factory is located. The Mayor of London s Planning Framework sees the site as appropriate for mixed-use development that could retain significant employment uses without compromising the existing industrial capacity. The Mayor s Framework identifies the Southern Gateway as having good potential for the location of taller buildings. Ealing Council also has policies that promote new development at the Southern Gateway which combine residential, employment, retail and community uses along with public spaces. Tall buildings are supported in principle subject to them being attractive from all angles, contributing to an interesting skyline, and creating well-defined public realm. Benefiting from very good public transport connections, the site provides an outstanding opportunity not only to mark the entrance and edge of the Park Royal Opportunity Area but also signal the approach to inner London whilst visually consolidating the adjacent existing tall buildings. views of existing site and local area
Design development The main objective is to revitalise this urban site with exceptional design through the delivery of mixed-use development which will provide offices, homes and public amenities in an exemplar landscape setting. Ground floor Plan Typical Floor plan Particular care has been taken in the proposed architecture and interior design in referencing the perfume heritage and Art Deco influence found at the site and the surrounding area. As part of an intensive design development process, various options were investigated in relation to the height, massing, bulk and location of potential buildings. Key issues explored in detail include relationship to neighbouring properties, circulation, access, noise, retention of heritage buildings, daylight/sunlight impacts, views to and from the site and maximising public realm improvements. d IAG R Am 1 : Existing Site d IAG R Am 2 : Partial demolition - front portion of original Perfume Factory building retained The result of the design development process is the development of two new residential towers that would be located to the rear of the site. Along the southern boundary of the site, three storey mews houses are proposed which will complement the height and scale of the nearest adjacent residential properties. The proposed commercial buildings will be located along the frontage of Wales Farm Road and seek to re-provide commercial space of a similar size to that already found at the site. Modern buildings will offer flexible and efficient workspace and will ensure that the important employment status of the site is maintained. One of the key benefits offered by the emerging design approach is that it can bring forward quality public realm and recreational space between the proposed buildings. d IAG R Am 3 : Demolished commercial space redeveloped along Wales Farm Road d I AG R A m 5 : Development of residential towers, freeing up the site for recreational, mixed use space d IAG R Am 4 : Mew Houses developed along the southern edge of the site to compliment the existing 2 story homes on the neighbouring site d IAG R Am 6 : Insertion of park / green / recreation /mixed use space between buildings Commercial Buildings Residential Buildings
Uses & Public realm The proposals for the site aim to deliver a vibrant mix of uses that will make a very positive contribution to the area. Computer generated image of emerging scheme Streetscenes High quality public realm Essential Living aims to make the site accessible for all to enjoy, providing community space, events and attractive soft and hard landscaping. Highly flexible commercial space can be provided and which could meet the needs of start-up and growing businesses. A comprehensive public realm strategy has been developed for the site by leading landscape architects LDA Design to ensure strong linkages to nearby facilities and public transport, permeability, lighting, seating, performance space, public art, water features and green space. The Glasshouse will provide a winter garden that could be an ideal location for showcasing the work of the local creative economy. Complementary retail, restaurant and leisure uses could also feature serving both the residential and commercial population on-site and in the surrounding area. A truly vibrant commercial environment could be achieved within the new development that could act as a hub around which creative and digital businesses could congregate. There is also the possibility of linking up with Imperial College London given the proximity to the new student accommodation provided nearby for this sciencebased institution. All new homes will provide a high quality living environment with associated leisure facilities. Professionally managed by Essential Living, the Perfume Factory will offer a mix of unit sizes from one-bedroom units to three-bedroomed family sized units. Roof terraces and gardens will also be provided for use by residents and commercial occupiers and further amenity space will be provided on balconies. The emerging plans provide for: Between 65,000 and 75,000 sq ft of commercial space; Between 480 to 550 privately rented homes including 1, 2 and 3 bedroomed units; 53,000 sq ft of landscape, green space and courtyard spaces; and 100 car parking spaces with generous provision for cycles.
Sustainability, Transportation & Access Sustainability will be at the heart of the new development, incorporating measures that will reduce carbon dioxide emissions and achieve energy efficiency. A combined heat and power plant could serve the wider area as well as the proposed development. Computer generated image of emerging scheme The site is located within an area of excellent public transport accessibility (PTAL 6a). North Acton London Underground station is within 100m of the site and the Acton mainline station is approximately 800m south of the site and will be linked into the new Crossrail service in 2019. Central London and the City can be reached within 20 to 30 minutes. The site currently provides 220 car parking spaces and it is envisaged that the redeveloped site will provide approximately 100 spaces to be located within a basement car park. In line with modern developments with very good public transport links, there will be limited parking for residents. Access will be as present off Wales Farm Road and a service strategy will be developed to ensure safe areas for deliveries, refuse collection and maintenance vehicles which will not disrupt the local highway network. Electric car charging points and car club parking spaces are also planned along with provision of cycle storage spaces. As part of the planning application, a full Transportation Assessment will be undertaken. This will carefully analyse the expected number of traffic movements associated with the new development. It is expected that there will not be any net increase in traffic generation from the new proposals.
Summary & What Happens Next? Thank you very much for attending this exhibition. We hope that you will be able to leave your comments with us on a feedback form. We will consider every comment made before finalising the planning application and will return for further public consultation early in the New Year. There is no precise date for the submission of the planning application but we expect this to take place early in 2015. Once the application is submitted, Ealing Council will undertake its own consultation exercise, enabling local residents and businesses to comment on the final planning application. We also intend to hold a follow-up exhibition in the New Year where the finalised plans will be presented. Although it is hoped that Ealing Council will be able to make a decision on the plans by the middle of 2015, work at the site to deliver the new proposals will not commence until late 2017, with an anticipated completion date in mid 2021. Essential Living s emerging proposals seek to: Safeguard jobs through the creation of modern and attractive office space which will meet the needs of a range of businesses and organisations; Respond to the aspirations for the Southern Gateway as expressed in Ealing Council s planning policies and the London Plan; Revitalise a prominent site at a highly accessible location through the provision of an environmentally sustainable high-quality residential-led mixed-use development; Provide the very best Private Rented Sector homes in London and set the gold standard for this type of accommodation; Retain and enhance existing heritage assets at the site; Introduce exemplary design and provide further impetus for the regeneration of the Park Royal Opportunity Area; Offer the opportunity to retail, restaurant and leisure uses to further diversify and animate the local area; Enhance the viability and viability of North Acton through major investment, the injection of spending power of new residents, the creation of full time construction jobs and jobs associated with the new commercial uses; and Significantly improve landscaping and the local streetscene as well as introducing enhanced public realm.