White City residents are sceptical that Imperial College London’s planned erection of a 12-storey academic building on the South Campus will benefit the wider community as promised.
Those living in neighbourhoods surrounding the 23-acre White City Campus doubt their proposals for the use of public campus space and shared building facilities will be heeded, and say that on-site residents will be prioritised.
Pending approval, the anticipated structure, which will house college staff and students, is set for construction in mid-2026, on the 14-acre south campus site south of the Westway. It promises an ‘unprecedented’ collaborative space for Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, says an Imperial College London brochure.
The plans, which also designate two acres of public space, including a town hall, cafes and exhibition areas, are under public consultation that began on September 29 and will continue until October 26.
“We want proof this would facilitate Imperial College people along with local people,” said Maurice Byrne, a 71-year-old construction worker who has lived in White City for over 35 years.
“They say they’ll take all suggestions up, but the proof is in the pudding. It all feels like a box ticking exercise,” he added.
Mr. Byrne resides near Brickfields Hall, an Imperial College community centre on Eynham road along with his partner Rose Hunt, 78, a retired NHS IT technician.
“No one uses it,” he said of the hall which is located just outside the main grounds of the north campus.
He said he would like to see better use of shared facilities, such as a centre for dog training or exercise classes which can be led by neighbourhood residents.
“It doesn’t feel like they are really interested in doing any of that,” he said.
The forthcoming building received Outline Planning Permission from Hammersmith & Fulham Council in 2019 and forms part of a South Campus Masterplan, which maps out designs for more businesses, homes, shopping and leisure facilities, and a hotel.
A sixty-four-year-old retired NHS healthcare worker and local resident of 37 years said she wanted to see the college – that currently accommodates over 5000 academics, clinicians, researchers and students, and more than 100 companies- create jobs for members of the wider community, particularly those with a medical background.
The woman said she had attended numerous public discussions for both north and south campus developments over the years.
“I keep coming back because I want to see inclusion. I encourage my community to take part in these consultations because they have a voice, their views are important, and they matter,” said the woman who declined to be named.
She added: “I would also love to see some quiet spaces for elderly and bereaved people.
“We’ve got loads of unpaid carers. We need spaces for people suffering from loneliness.”
The woman said she would like the campus to reach out to community members on a more informal basis and maintain an open line of communication.
“They might be formal because they are high salaried, but we are not high salaried, so they need to come to our level and meet us as equals,” she said.
The new building is expected to be completed in 2029.
An Imperial College London spokesperson said: “We welcome the engagement from the local community on our consultation for the academic building and will be considering all feedback as we refine our plans.”
Main image: A cyclist adjusts his backpack by ongoing construction works on South Campus. Credit: Athena Vlachou
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