The first 304 homes at the new Southall Waterside development and now finished and are being initially offered to existing Ealing residents on either an affordable rent or shared ownership basis.
Over the next 25 years Southall Waterside – delivered in partnership with Ealing Council, Catalyst and Berkeley – is set to create around 3,750 homes and 21,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs, and a further 600 permanent roles.
This first batch of new homes at Southall Waterside will count towards Ealing’s ambitious target of creating 2,500 more genuinely affordable homes for Ealing residents by March 2022.
New open space
The 88-acre former gasworks site will create a welcoming, open landscape, with a health centre, primary school, community centre and a buzzing commercial district with shops, restaurants, a cinema and public squares.
In the years ahead around half of this vast brownfield site will become public open space, including approximately 40 acres of parkland and biodiverse habitats. This will include a network of inviting nature and fitness trails, wetlands, cycle-paths and walkways.
Southall Waterside will be connected to the neighbouring 90-acre Minet Country Park, and a currently inaccessible one-kilometre stretch of the Grand Union Canal is being restored and opened up to the public.
‘Affordable homes for Ealing residents’
Council leader Julian Bell said: “Southall Waterside was previously a disused industrial site, and the much-needed regeneration of this land means that it is now beginning to actively contribute to our local economy. The development is providing jobs and will bring a diverse mix of new amenities to the area. Importantly, it is also delivering affordable homes for Ealing residents. This means that Southall Waterside is a community for all and I am looking forward to continuing to work with Berkeley and Catalyst as we welcome more residents to Southall Waterside.”
’40 acres of beautiful parkland’
Tony Pidgley CBE, chairman of Berkeley Group, said: “This is one of the most challenging and ambitious regeneration programmes Berkeley Group has ever undertaken and it’s a huge pleasure to see the first local people making Southall Waterside their home.
“Together with Ealing Council and our fantastic local partners, we are transforming this long derelict site into a welcoming new part of Southall for the whole community to enjoy. In the years ahead we will create a truly sustainable place with up to 40 acres of beautiful parkland and biodiverse landscapes.”
Ian McDermott, chief executive of Catalyst, said: “We are excited to welcome our first residents to Southall Waterside. Our partnership with Berkeley and Ealing Council enables us to fulfil our commitment to being part of mixed-tenure neighbourhoods in fantastic places which enable people to thrive. Southall Waterside offers our residents much more than homes – it offers them a chance to become part of a wider community and I look forward to seeing this flourish in Southall.”
