London developer seeks planning approval for delayed Earls Court project

The Earls Court Development Company (ECDC) has officially submitted its long-awaited plans for the first phase of an £8bn ‘zero carbon’ redevelopment for its central London site.

The detailed plans, which will see two new skyscrapers tower over Earls Court, were submitted this week after nearly a decade of delays due to resident and council disagreements, according to a report first seen in the Financial Times. 

If approved, developments for the master plan would be set to kick off by 2026 and continue into the year 2040 and beyond. 

“There can’t be any greater example of a project that needs to get going than this one,” Rob Heasman, chief executive of ECDC, told the FT. 

The push to move forward with its plans also comes as the new Labour government puts its ambitions to build 1.5m homes over the next five years at the forefront of its agenda. 

The master plan could deliver as many as 4,000 homes – with the first phase rolling out over 1,000 – and the support of 12,000 jobs. 

Heasman told the FT that the current proposal of plans reflects detailed engagement with the local community, which previously expressed concerns over the lack of affordable housing.

The concerns led to the scrapping of previous plans for the site under former owner Capcro.

ECDC has said it aims for 35 per cent of its housing to be affordable under revised development plans.

The proposal is set to be reviewed and voted on in the summer of 2025 by both Hammersmith & Fulham council and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.

ECDC has been contacted by City A.M. for comment.