Renowned architect Sir Terry Farrell has been appointed by Hammersmith and Fulham Council to "create a vision" for the regeneration of Old Oak Common.

The area, around the proposal rail interchange for High Speed Two, could be transformed into  a new city called Park Royal City International according to Cllr Stephen Greenhalgh, Leader of Hammersmith & Fulham Council.

The plans being drawn up include 10,000 new homes and 20,000 new jobs.

The new rail hub, given the name Park Royal City International after the sprawling industrial park on where it would be based, would connect the area with the North, Midlands and the West. Four airports – Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted and City Airport, would be within reach within 30 minutes. The Government-backed proposals also includes plans for a new Crossrail Station.

This week, Cllr Greenhalgh and Sir Terry appeared before a House of Commons Transport Select Committee to say that High Speed Two, or HS2, a proposed high speed rail service between London and Scotland, is vital for London and Britain’s future economic growth.

Cllr Greenhalgh said: " The creation of a new interchange at Old Oak, or Park Royal City International as it will be known, will unleash the creation of a new business hub bigger than Canary Wharf, bringing thousands of affordable homes and jobs to London.

" We are already seeing the potential benefits of this in west London with plans to effectively build a new city, bringing 20,000 jobs to an area where nearly half the people living there are unemployed."

The initial area set to be redeveloped, on the back of HS2, is a 90-hectare site reaching from Wormwood Scrubs and the A40 in the south, Harlesden in the north and Ealing to the west.  A third of land is railway owned, while the remainder features part of the 100-year-old Park Royal Industrial Estate. The Grand Union Canal runs across it.

Sir Terry Farrell said: "This is an incredibly exciting opportunity to reshape and unblock the development of a critical part of north-west London, and crucially to have a huge impact on the country as a whole.

"High Speed Rail is not just a transportation strategy, it's a nationwide economic catalyst that requires creative place making.  Old Oak Common presents an exceptional opportunity and we look forward to developing a clear vision to maximise the transformational benefits of HS2."

July 1, 2011