Imperial moots joint venture for major scheme

Imperial College London is considering joint venturing with a private sector firm to develop a major part of its planned 23-acre Imperial West campus in White City, west London.

Martin Summersgill, director of estates masterplanning and development at Imperial, told a Built Environment Networking event in London last week the university is considering joint venturing on the southern portion of its planned Imperial West campus, known as Imperial West South.

The 11.5-acre former Dairy Crest site was acquired by Imperial last year from insurer Aviva and development partner Helical Bar.

Summersgill said Imperial is considering joint venturing on the development because it is likely to feature a mix of uses, including commercial offices and private residential, rather than “100% college [buildings]”.

Summersgill added: “We have such a close relationship with industry we expect this to be something where there’s a mix of the college and industry and commerce working alongside the college, which will be quite unique.”

Imperial is currently masterplanning Imperial West South and will “potentially” submit the scheme for planning next Spring, Summersgill said.

Construction work on the first two buildings on the northern part of the planned Imperial West campus, Imperial West North (pictured), is scheduled to begin next month, with the other five buildings to be built out by 2021.