Introduction
South Acton is the largest estate within the borough, and currently undergoing extensive regeneration.
Nearly 3,500 new homes will be built across 52 acres, along with the supply of approximately 50,000sqft of non-residential facilities; including a new community centre and new youth centre.
The site has a rich history with the area being originally built upon in the 1850s. Due to a combination of worsening condition due to age, and extensive bombing during the war by the Luftwaffe (owing to the areas closeness to busy railway junctions), the estate was left in a slum-like state when the war finished.
The old estate was cleared under post-war slum redevelopment from 1949 onwards and rebuilt almost entirely as large tower blocks. This took over 30 years to complete, and South Acton eventually became one of the largest council housing estates in West London, with almost 2,100 homes.
In 1999, a series of stand-alone schemes took place to deal with problems with specific blocks and to address wider structural issues. In 2008, the council took the decision to regenerate the area, as this is considered to be the best way to achieve the life-changing effect wanted by residents and the council.
Acton Gardens (a collaboration between L&Q, one of the largest housing associations in the UK, and house-builder Countryside Properties) won a competition to become the council's developer partner in 2010.
The scheme involves demolishing existing council-built homes and replacing them with new homes for social rent, shared ownership, shared equity, outright sale and private rent, which will be managed by L&Q. The regeneration will also provide new community facilities, shops and modern, improved green spaces and play areas.
A widely-consulted "master plan" to guide development was given the go-ahead in 2012 after one of the most comprehensive consultation programmes of its type.
Between 2012 and 2024 Acton Gardens have successfully delivered 2,098 new homes.