Local groups raise concern over height of towers at Earls Court redevelopment

Plans to build two towers at the former Earls Court exhibition venue have been attacked by local residents, planning documents have revealed.

The Earls Court Development Company (ECDC), a joint venture between Delancey, Dutch pension fund manager APG and Transport for London, lodged a 7.5 million sq ft masterplan for the £10bn scheme in west London in September.

Architects working on the hybrid planning application include Maccreanor Lavington, Sheppard Robson, dRMM, Haworth Tompkins and Serie.

Others working on the development include consultants T&T, Cast, Hoare Lea, G&T and WSP.

Two towers of 42 and 27 storeys, designed by Sheppard Robson and Maccreanor Lavington respectively, have been criticised as being too high, according to objections filed on Kensington & Chelsea’s planning portal. The other local authority determining the application, Hammersmith & Fulham, has not made comments publicly available on its site.

Sheppard Robson’s 42-storey tower will comprise 278 homes for open market sale as well as a lounge, workspace and gym at level one. Levels 39 and 40 would feature a double-height conservatory and private dining area with two terraces.

Meanwhile, Maccreanor Lavington’s 27-storey tower will provide 202 homes and comprise a mix of studios, one to three bedroom flats and two town houses.

But in a joint statement, the Kensington, Hammersmith, Fulham and Earls Court Societies and the London Forum Lillie Road Residents Association said the tallest tower is “about the same height as the “Walkie-Talkie” building on Fenchurch Street and would dominate local views for miles around”. 

ECDC said: “We are committed to delivering beautiful, well-designed and sustainable buildings of the highest quality. Delivered in the first phase, our taller buildings will demonstrate the design excellence of the new Earls Court, putting it on the London skyline.”

In all, 4,000 homes are planned with the first residents expected to move in in 2030. Later phases will be built out over the following years with completion of the wider scheme scheduled for 2041.