The Earls Court Development Company (ECDC) submits its 7.5 million sq ft masterplan, inviting the world to discover wonder at central London’s largest cleared development site.


The long empty site will be transformed as a new neighbourhood that will have c.4,000 new homes set within 20 acres of new public open and green space, while reinstating its position as a destination for innovation and discovery. It will be a showcase for clean and climate tech with 2.5 million sq ft of workspace, 12,000 jobs, three new anchor cultural venues, all supported by a zero-carbon energy network and a zero operational carbon target as the basis of the development.


Since acquisition of the site, over the past four years ECDC has worked closely with local communities and business groups to ensure the future plans meet the needs of the area and London. Consultation feedback to date has demonstrated strong support for the proposals.

Earls Court will be London’s place to discover wonder, guided by four ‘place pillars’ at the heart of the plans:
– a celebration of nature and its ability to connect and revive,
– a showcase for climate and clean innovation and skills,
– a cultural ecosystem for the future of talent,
– and an inspiring neighbourhood designed for all stages of life.


Detailed plans have also been submitted for the first buildings within Phase One of the development, set to commence in 2026. This will include the first commercial spaces, c.1,500 new homes including those for rent, for sale and specialist housing for students and later living, set around our Table Park at the heart of the site, with shops, bars and restaurants, cultural and community spaces, as well as other neighbourhood amenities.


ECDC is responsible for the transformation of the 40-acre site on behalf of the Earls Court Partnership Limited – a joint venture between Delancey (on behalf of its client funds) and the Dutch pension fund manager, APG and Places for London, Transport for London’s property company.

The submission of the planning applications for the site of the former Earls Court Exhibition Centres, central London’s largest cleared development area, marks a major milestone in the journey to transform one of London’s most iconic locations.

Earls Court is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to redefine city-living for the future. The development will restore London’s iconic site of human ingenuity, putting Earls Court back on the map. Connecting three London Underground stations and close to multiple bus routes in West London, it will be a place for everyone, a neighbourhood that brings people together, where they feel welcome, safe and included.
Created to be an exemplar of sustainable development while helping to establish new standards of excellence in design, the masterplan has been devised to respond to both the needs of existing and future communities to provide a better piece of city for generations to come.

Speaking about this milestone, Rob Heasman, Chief Executive of ECDC, said:
“We have listened to the wealth of stories and taken huge inspiration from Earls Court’s heritage as a place that dared – to showcase, to entertain and celebrate the spectacular. A place that was so clearly cherished for being bold and brave, welcoming people from across the globe.
“Our plans retain that innovative spirit that embraces future thinking – an approach we believe has become more important now than ever before, an approach that continues to drive us to create a global exemplar of sustainability.
“We understand our responsibility to deliver much needed homes and employment opportunities for London, and nearly half the site will be devoted to green and open public space.
“Critical to achieving these aims is creating a place with personality, a place that once again becomes a destination with a broad cultural appeal and fully inclusive to all that come to experience it. That place will be Earls Court.”

Jamie Ritblat, Founder and Chairman of Delancey, said:
“We designed this project for people and the community, creating spaces that benefit users and occupiers, and the wider corporate market. Our ocus has been on delivering value—environmentally, emotionally, and economically—while keeping the future in mind. Though we can’t predict the 22nd century, we have aimed to build with longevity, crafting streets and places that will become part of London’s fabric.

It is unique for a development of this scale and importance to put spaces first, and buildings second. Despite economic challenges, we are proud of the result and grateful for the support of our partners. We believe this project is a beacon of hope for the capital’s future as a leading global city.”


Graeme Craig, Director and Chief Executive of Places for London, said:
“We are delighted to see Earls Court Development Company reach this significant milestone in the project. This new masterplan will bring thousands of new homes, including affordable, to this well-connected part of west London, helping revitalise the area by creating a vibrant new place to visit and boosting the local economy. We’re looking forward to working closely with the development team as the masterplan progresses in the coming years.”

Earls Court will be a new neighbourhood for West London, bringing c. 4,000 homes for all stages of life; along with affordable homes, it will provide a test bed for innovative approaches to housing to address a range of housing needs. It will reconnect into surrounding communities through a network of Exhibition Gardens including a 4.5-acre urban park, named Table Park, set within 20 acres of new public and green open space for all to enjoy.


Celebrating the site’s incredible legacy of performance and ingenuity, Earls Court will be home to three new world-class cultural venues, collectively accommodating over 2,500 people as well as a range of diverse spaces, fixed and pop-up venues and retail, dining and leisure spaces. The first venue will be delivered in Kensington & Chelsea, responding to the Royal Borough’s Cultural Strategy for the site and opening in 2030. This will act as an anchor for the site, attracting businesses, families and individuals to come and putting Earls Court back on London’s cultural map. Attracting the world’s most inventive minds, Earls Court will become a showcase for clean and climate technologies, with 2.5 million sq. ft of workspace supporting start-ups, scale ups, creatives and multinationals, delivering around 12,000 direct on-site jobs within a climate resilient development, generating an 85% increase in biodiversity across the site and operated through a zero-carbon energy network with a zero operational carbon target.
Once complete, the final development is estimated to generate an uplift of £1.2 billion GVA per year, including contributing an additional £75 million spent in the local area each year.

Jace Tyrrell, Chief Executive of Opportunity London, the public private partnership charged with driving £100bn of capital investment into London, said:
“It is a bold ambition to ‘bring the wonder back to Earls Court’ and absolutely needed. Earls Court is a name known across the world and I’m thrilled to see such a strong commercial offer, focused on clean and climate tech businesses, alongside the homes, cultural and community facilities.
“This is world leading design, and it is vital that this long derelict site is able to become again an important and thriving part of our city.”
Caroline Tod-Richardson, Director, Earl’s Court International Film Festival said:
“A large vacant space in central London has certainly impacted the area socially and economically. The Earls Court Development Company’s dedication and enthusiasm to develop state-of the-art housing, commercial offices and affordable workspace, sport and leisure facilities, parks and gardens, affordable workspaces, a skills centre and new spaces that could one day potentially accommodate a range of art, culture, theatre and cinema uses is truly inspiring and warmly welcomed by myself and many other local residents.”


William McGranahan, Founder and Chief Executive, Dad’s House said:
“The future locally holds much opportunity for the dads, mums and families we work with – with the promise of new jobs, skills and training, new housing and commercial space amongst many other things the new development would deliver. Most importantly, giving a sense of pride for the local community to see the start of work on the site – and to have actually been involved in the planning and design process from the very beginning.
“In our view, ECDC is the way forward for any development company, as a model for the future, bringing communities together – with the vital social impact on record for Londoners to see.”