New-build flats alone right in the middle of Park Royal industrial estate?

8 comments

1. Not the nicest location but you can get to Harlesden station on foot in 13 mins according to Google Maps. Central Mid Hospital has tons of bus routes and is only a few mins walk away. I wouldn’t particularly want to live there but people are fucking desperate.

2. There’s a lot of money being focused into this area and nearby Alperton/Hangar Lane over the next few years as it’s one of the only bits of zone 3 that still has space to build new housing and expand in fairly bold ways – there’s always going to be the first solitary apartment buildings before other stuff gets clustered around it.

   People buy in places like this because they’re priced out of other nearby areas and want to live eg somewhat near the Piccadilly line, are landlords or speculative buyers, or have existing ties to the area/work around there.

   I am around there sometimes and a couple of the new builds dotted around there look like they’re in the middle of nowhere but do actually have bus connections that go to nearby tubes, so it’s not totally isolated, but yes it’s never going to be an aesthetically pleasant place to live.

3. I was driving round the north circular a while ago. I had to go round the massive Hanger Lane roundabout. It looks like they are building a block of flats on there. On quite possibly the most congested and polluted roundabout in the UK.

   Hoping (for the sake of potential residents) it’s self storage or something. But it looked tall and distinctly like flats.

4. Look up Old Oak and Park Royal regeneration: https://www.brent.gov.uk/business/regeneration/growth-areas/old-oak-and-park-royal

   I guess there’ll be a mix of reasons people buy there. I myself looked at a new flat near Park Royal/Hangar Lane station. The sales pitch the agents were going for is the area will be completely redeveloped in a few years due to HS2 and have lots more homes/shops, it’s relatively well connected by rail/tube/road, prices now are cheaper than other nearby areas while the place is still an industrial estate so you get a good deal if you believe in the masterplan being delivered and can wait.

   The other angle they could be going for is hoping people that aren’t local to the area don’t do their research and realise it’s in an industrial estate, which reminds me of the marketing material for 127 West Ealing that conveniently doesn’t show the building right next to the train tracks.

5. I know someone I work with who lives in that block, for them it’s a convenient place to live as they often work on the Park Royal industrial estate, so it’s a very easy commute in that sense.

   I’d assume, although can’t say for certain, that these type of apartments mainly appeal to young single and couples professionals for work reasons, although I can’t imagine many families with children would feel the same do to a lack of local amenities and parks etc.

   Also Harlesden stations is only a 13 minutes walk away, not sure where you got the “30 min walk” idea from.

   Finally these type of developments are becoming more and more common across London as laws have changed in recent years that allow housing to be built on what was previously classed as what’s know as ‘brownfield sites’, ie: industrial land.

6. At least two good restaurants within walking distance. Al enam is one of the best restaurants in west london. I do take your point about the location, but compared to Westgate House in the middle of Hanger lane roundabout, it doesn’t look too bad.

   [https://maps.app.goo.gl/cAbNrBAMpfYhMPmF6](https://maps.app.goo.gl/cAbNrBAMpfYhMPmF6)

   Even worse is that its a converted office building as well.

7. If you are single and work nearby there, it is pretty good you can even walk to work everyday while wake up reasonably late.

8. It’s not the only residential property in the industrial estate. There’s also around 60-100 houses on Harold Rd / Wesley Av.