Leader of Brent Council Mo Butt was at Grand Union last week to help celebrate the launch of an ambitious project to transform the 22-acre former Northfields Industrial Estate into a welcoming new part of Alperton.
This regeneration programme is set to revive this long derelict site and create a new canal-side neighbourhood, with more than new 3,000 homes, of which over 1,000 will be affordable.
Cllr Butt was joined by Mayor of Brent Cllr Ernest Ezeajughi, local ward councilors, Berkeley Group Chairman Tony Pidgley CBE and Managing Director of St George Piers Clanford.
Alongside new housing, Grand Union will create a mix of amenities and open spaces, including a community centre, nursery, a commercial gym, a new local bar and restaurant, a health centre and a convenience store.
The masterplan, developed in close consultation with local people, will offer 11 acres of high-quality landscaped public open spaces including a canal-side piazza, riverside meadow and children's play space.
The 5,000 sq ft community centre will encompass community gardens and kitchens and provide workshops and flexible event spaces for existing and new residents.
The new development will reconnect the local area with the Grand Union Canal and River Brent by opening up previously inaccessible parts of these waterways to local residents, while creating and improving routes to Stonebridge Park.
Located on the southern part of the Grand Union site, the Generator will provide 135,000 sq ft of flexible workspace for a variety of light industrial businesses. Arranged over 6 levels, it will be the first of its kind in the UK.
The Generator sits at the heart of an employment strategy which will create over 650 jobs and apprenticeships at Grand Union, making it a truly mixed-use development where homes and jobs can successfully co-locate.
Piers Clanford, Managing Director, St George, said: "The launch of Grand Union is a hugely exciting milestone and in the years ahead we transform this underutilised area into much-needed new homes and an abundance of green space for residents and the local community to enjoy."
"Grand Union has been carefully designed with the local community to connect seamlessly with the surrounding Stonebridge and Alperton area, as we create an exciting new neighbourhood with a wealth of amenities and uses, high-quality homes and beautiful, accessible public spaces."
Grand Union is well-located, with transport links providing access to central London through the Piccadilly line at Alperton, Bakerloo line at Stonebridge Park and proximity to the North Circular.
Grand Union offers a mix of thoughtfully designed studio, one, two- and three-bedroom apartments.