Acton Gardens celebrates completion of hub phase
A special ‘topping out’ ceremony has been held at Acton Gardens to celebrate the completion of the structure of a new community hub.
Led by Ealing Council Leader Julian Bell, representatives from Countryside, L&Q and Ealing Council oversaw the last concrete being poured into the main structure.
This is a significant milestone in Countryside and L&Q’s £600 million regeneration on the South Acton Estate. The Acton Gardens hub, which is expected to be ready for opening in autumn 2020, will contain a new doctor’s surgery, a children’s nursery, and 160 new homes.
Lying at the heart of Acton Gardens, the hub will help to support local people with essential services whilst contributing to the welcoming community spirit in the area.
Acton Gardens is notable for its extensive community facilities, and has already delivered a new community centre, youth club, local supermarket, dental surgery and neighbourhood office.
Since the Acton Gardens regeneration began in 2011, Ealing Council, Countryside and L&Q have been working with the South Acton community to design the hub phase, through a series of meetings, public exhibitions, school workshops and consultations with community groups, with detailed feedback incorporated into the final designs.
Councillor Julian Bell, Leader of Ealing Council, said: “I was delighted to see the progress that has been made at Acton Gardens. Once completed, the new estate will host almost 1,300 socially rented homes, all of which will be well within the means of local people on low incomes. Every existing South Acton tenant who wants one of the safe, modern new flats at Acton Gardens will get one. Over the next three years, Ealing Council will create at least 2,500 genuinely affordable homes around the borough for local people, making us London’s most ambitious homebuilding local authority.”
Mike Woolliscroft, Managing Director, Partnerships South (West), Countryside, commented: “Following the opening of the new community centre earlier this year, which has proved extremely popular, we’re proud to be delivering additional community facilities for local people.
“Creating a successful place requires far more than just new homes, which is why the hub phase at the centre of Acton Gardens is so important. With designs shaped by local residents, this state-of-the-art community infrastructure will play a vital role in maintaining the thriving South Acton community.”
Jacqueline Esimaje-Heath, Regional Development Director (North London), L&Q, added: “It’s really exciting to see how far we’ve come with the Acton Gardens community hub. There is such a brilliant community spirit here, and local people were integral in designing these facilities.”
“Good regeneration needs to go beyond homes and housing services. It’s about investing in the communities where you build. Residents at Acton Gardens will enjoy access to a wide range of facilities and services on their doorsteps, alongside generous open spaces for everyone to enjoy. We’re proud of how far we’ve come and looking forward to finishing work on the hub in 2020.”
Once completed in around 2028, Acton Gardens will deliver 3,463 high-quality, tenure-blind homes of which 50% are for either social rent or intermediate home ownership tenure (by habitable room). The 18-year project is also transforming the former South Acton estate with state-of-the-art community facilities and public spaces.