Ground Broken on New Community Facilities in White City
£150 million EdCity will include a new primary school, youth zone and housing
Official start to the project at EdCity site in White City
March 14, 2022
Work has begun on a major new project in White City which will see the deliver of new community facilities including a primary school.
The £150 million ‘Ed City’ is being built by EdCity Development Ltd (ECDL) and funded by Hammersmith & Fulham Council and Ark, a national education charity with nine schools ls in West London.
The scheme includes an Ark Primary School which will bring together Ark Swift Primary Academy and Ark Burlington Danes, a state-of-the art OnSide Youth Zone called West providing activities and opportunities for local young people, a nurseray and an expanded adult education and community learning centre. In addition there will be 132 new homes which will be classed as affordable and a new 100,000sq ft office space. The project will also provide a headquarters for Ark and a new landscaped public square with pedestrian and cycle links to local transport.
The plot of land, which is owned by the council with a long lease held by Ark Schools, covers 144,670 metres squared – equal to two football pitches.
As well as Ark Swift School, built in the 1950s, the site previous was the location of a Harmony Neighbourhood Nursery and an Adult Community Learning Centre, which will both be rebuilt.
Work to clear and prepare the White City site began in the summer last year and construction work is being carried out by Bowmer & Kirkland. The completion of the first phase, including the opening of the new school, is due in September 2023.
Ed City, View Along Australia Road. Picture: Ark Schools sourced from planning application
Hammersmith & Fulham council leader, Cllr Stephen Cowan, and Ark chief executive, Lucy Heller, have hailed the £150m, not-for-profit regeneration of the EdCity site as “an exciting moment for the White City community and beyond”.
The two joined forces on Tuesday 8 March to mark the start of work to construct the new community facilities on the site.
Lucy Heller, said, “This exciting not-for-profit development will bring significant benefits and facilities to White City and beyond, and we are delighted that the works to create them are now underway. We have a long relationship with the local community and are looking forward to the opening of the new Ark primary school next year bringing together Ark Swift and Ark Burlington Danes.
“The wider project will deliver an innovative new education hub to the neighbourhood with Ark moving its national headquarters to the new office building alongside other businesses and organisations. With more than 100 new affordable homes, nursery and youth zone, EdCity promises to be a great place to work, learn, live and play.”
Office Block Viewed From South Africa Rd. Pciture: Ark Schools Sourced from planning application
Cllr Stephen Cowan said, “This project will deliver for people of all ages in White City the very best in education and training to give them access to the most amazing business start-up and rapidly emerging hotspot for STEM, medicine, and media enterprises.
"This project brings tangible benefits to the local community with a new school and nursery, a youth zone and improved adult education services. There will be new, affordable homes for local people, improvements to public areas and jobs will be relocated here.
“That is why we made a multi-million-pound investment, and I am delighted the work here is now under way.”
The OnSide Youth Zone, named WEST (Where Everyone Sticks Together) by local young people, will offer a range of after-school, weekend and evening activities and opportunities for the local community aged between eight and 19, including those aged up to 25 with a disability.
The OnSide team spoke to guests visiting the site for the first time and heard more about what WEST will offer young people and the wider community.
Mark Davies, Chair of WEST Youth Zone, said, “We were delighted to welcome our wonderful supporters to the site and to see the great progress being made. EdCity is such an exciting project and we are really proud to be a part of it. WEST will transform the lives of thousands of young people, giving them an opportunity to find new skills, make new friends and seek support from dedicated youth workers.”
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