Earl’s Court, Olympia and White City economic clusters | London 2026

Key points

• The Mayor of London’s draft London Plan identifies 18 strategic economic clusters intended to support growth outside existing commercial corridors.
• Three of the identified clusters are wholly or partly located in Hammersmith and Fulham: Earl’s Court, Olympia and White City.
• Earl’s Court is planned to become a new 4,000-home neighbourhood on the former exhibition centre site.
• The Earl’s Court Development Company says the scheme could contribute £3 billion a year to the UK economy and support 23,500 jobs across the country once completed.
• Work on the Earl’s Court scheme is expected to start in 2028, with construction taking place in phases over 15 to 20 years.
• Olympia is undergoing a £1.3 billion redevelopment involving cultural venues, hotels, workspace and a new music venue.
• The Olympia redevelopment is expected to contribute more than £600 million annually to the UK economy and attract 3.5 million visitors each year.
• White City has developed into a centre for life sciences, deep technology, media and creative industries.
• Residents’ representatives have raised concerns about disruption, transport pressures and whether local people are receiving enough employment and training opportunities.
• The Mayor’s plan focuses on financial and professional services, creative industries, the experience economy and frontier sectors such as life sciences, technology and artificial intelligence.

West London (West London News) August 8, 2026 — Earl’s Court, Olympia and fulham/white-city/">White City have been highlighted as three strategic economic clusters in Hammersmith and Fulham under Sir Sadiq Khan’s recently published draft London Plan. The designations identify parts of the borough as locations where economic activity, investment, employment and infrastructure are expected to grow outside London’s established town centres and Central Activities Zone.

The three areas represent different forms of development. Earl’s Court is planned as a large mixed-use neighbourhood with 4,000 homes, shops, restaurants, bars and public spaces. Olympia is being transformed from a former exhibition centre into a major cultural, hospitality and business destination. White City has become an innovation district centred on life sciences, deep technology, media, creative industries and research.

The draft London Plan lists 18 strategic economic clusters across the capital. According to the plan, these are areas identified for economic growth that do not fall within existing corridors, including town centres and the Central Activities Zone. hammersmith-and-fulham/">Hammersmith and Fulham contains or shares three of the 18 locations, a total matched only by neighbouring Hounslow.

The designation gives formal recognition to a part of West London that has already been subject to major regeneration proposals and investment. However, the developments have not received universal support, with residents and community representatives questioning the effects of construction, pressure on transport and the extent to which local people will benefit.

Why has Hammersmith and Fulham been identified?

Hammersmith and Fulham is one of London’s smaller boroughs. It sits between Kensington and Chelsea to the east and Ealing and Hounslow to the west. Its Inner London location provides access to central London, while its transport links, established business areas and sizeable development sites have helped make it attractive to investors.

The borough is also known for its sporting institutions. Chelsea and Fulham play in the Premier League, while Queen’s Park Rangers compete in the Championship. Although the borough’s sporting profile is significant, the draft London Plan places particular emphasis on its emerging economic role.

Hammersmith and Fulham Council says its Upstream London economic strategy has helped attract more than £6 billion in investment in high-growth sectors and supported the creation of 17,200 new jobs. The council has also described Hammersmith and Fulham as London’s fastest-growing economy and one of the top 10 fastest-growing economies in the United Kingdom.

Those claims form part of the wider case for concentrating investment in Earl’s Court, Olympia and White City. Each area has a different development model, but together they cover housing, culture, hospitality, technology, education, research and commercial workspace.

What is planned for Earl’s Court?

The Earl’s Court site covers about 40 acres of land that was formerly occupied by the Earl’s Court Exhibition Centre. The exhibition centre buildings were demolished between 2015 and 2017, and much of the site has remained unused since then.

The land is divided between Hammersmith and Fulham and the neighbouring Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Planning approval was granted by Hammersmith and Fulham Council in November, followed by approval from Kensington and Chelsea Council the following month.

The proposed development will create a new neighbourhood containing 4,000 homes, shops, restaurants and bars. The project is being led by the Earl’s Court Development Company, a joint venture involving Delancey, APG and Places for London, the property arm of Transport for London.

The company says the completed scheme could generate £3 billion annually for the UK economy and support 23,500 jobs across the country. The figures refer to the expected wider economic contribution of the development rather than only the number of jobs located within Earl’s Court.

Construction is expected to begin in 2028. The scheme is due to be delivered in phases over a period of between 15 and 20 years, meaning that the full neighbourhood would be built gradually rather than appearing as a single completed project.

An Earl’s Court Development Company spokesperson said Hammersmith and Fulham had a clear focus on inclusive growth and expanding the economy for the benefit of the whole borough. The spokesperson said the council had unusually defined policies on economic growth and inward investment through its Upstream London Industrial Strategy.

The spokesperson also said the council’s approach was based on partnerships between public authorities, private companies and education providers. According to the company, that approach can help attract investment, broker partnerships and support skills, education, training and employment opportunities.

How is Olympia being redeveloped?

Olympia is the second strategic economic cluster identified in the borough. The site was previously home to the famous Olympia exhibition centre, but it is now being redeveloped through a £1.3 billion project.

The redevelopment includes theatres, music venues, a drama school, hotels and substantial new workspace. Parts of the scheme have already begun opening, including a music venue with a capacity of 3,800 people.

According to information provided by the Olympia development team, the completed redevelopment is expected to contribute more than £600 million each year to the UK economy. It is also expected to attract about 3.5 million visitors annually.

A spokesperson for Olympia said the project demonstrated how investment could restore a historic landmark while creating jobs, cultural facilities and wider economic benefits. The spokesperson said the development would provide local people with new places to eat, drink and visit in West London.

The redevelopment is therefore intended to serve several markets at once. It is designed to retain Olympia’s role as a destination for exhibitions and events while adding entertainment, education, accommodation and commercial uses.

The inclusion of Olympia in the Mayor’s plan reflects its role as an established site being expanded into a broader cultural and economic destination. Unlike Earl’s Court, where construction of the main neighbourhood has yet to begin, Olympia is already opening parts of its new programme.

What makes White City an economic cluster?

White City is the third area linked to Hammersmith and Fulham under the draft London Plan. It has developed as a hub for health and life sciences, technology, media and creative industries.

The White City Innovation District is a partnership between Imperial College London and Hammersmith and Fulham Council. Imperial’s White City Campus, which covers 23 acres, is at the centre of the district and supports innovation, entrepreneurship and multidisciplinary research.

The wider district also includes Imperial’s Hammersmith Hospital Campus, the Royal College of Art, ITV, Television Centre and other innovation and business facilities. Companies operating in the area include Novartis, Airbus, Autolus and Synthace.

In a report published by Imperial College London, journalists Amna Siddiq and Joanna Wilson described the district as a growing network of more than 100 co-located organisations, residents, businesses, education providers and community groups. Imperial said the district’s work covers life sciences, deep technology, media and the creative arts.

Professor Alice Gast, then President of Imperial College London, said entrepreneurs, academics, established companies and the local community were clustering in a way comparable with the early development of Silicon Valley. She said scientists, engineers, medics and businesspeople were working together and creating opportunities for future innovators.

Councillor Stephen Cowan, Leader of Hammersmith and Fulham Council, said the council’s strategy was designed to connect schools, apprenticeship schemes, youth services and retraining programmes with the district’s growth. He said the aim was to make opportunities available to the widest possible number of people.

The district’s development has also been supported by Upstream, a growth partnership between Hammersmith and Fulham and Imperial College London. Prema Gurunathan, Managing Director of Upstream, said organisations in White City were seeking opportunities to collaborate, share knowledge and address common and global challenges.

What concerns have residents raised?

The designation of the three clusters has been accompanied by concerns about the effect of development on local communities. The White City Residents Association said the Innovation District had not yet demonstrated sufficient benefits for people living nearby.

A spokesperson for the association said that, although some links had been created through Imperial College London and the WEST youth centre, the wider Innovation District had not been sufficiently connected to White City residents. The spokesperson argued that the district could feel as though it had been located in Fulham rather than next to the White City estate.

The association also referred to noise, dust and disruption caused by major construction projects around White City and Wood Lane estates. It said residents had experienced disruption for many years but had seen few direct gains.

The residents’ group said it and other associations had needed to press for meetings with the council and developers to obtain information about building plans. It also said early offers of opportunities for local people had not always been delivered.

According to the association, residents were not aware of dedicated routes into training or employment connected with the Innovation District and Opportunity Area. It said some local people had been frustrated when seeking opportunities from organisations and businesses operating in the area.

The association’s criticism was that the Innovation District may have delivered benefits for the council, its institutional partners and commercial interests, but had not yet delivered enough for White City residents.

The council disputed that view. A spokesperson said the Hammersmith and Fulham Pathway Bond, supported by more than 100 local businesses, was connecting young people with jobs in emerging industries. The council said the scheme was intended to help residents from all backgrounds access employment opportunities and life skills.

The council also pointed to the £150 million EdCity development in White City. It includes an adult learning and skills centre, a primary school and the WEST Youth Zone, which provides sports, climbing, music and dance facilities. The council said WEST offered affordable access through a £5 annual membership and 50p per visit, as well as work-based programmes linking young people with businesses in the Innovation District.

What does the Mayor’s plan propose?

A spokesperson for the Mayor of London said the draft London Plan was intended to provide a long-term framework that would give businesses confidence to invest in London.

The plan focuses on four major areas: financial and professional services, creative industries, the experience economy, and frontier innovation, including life sciences, technology and artificial intelligence.

The Mayor’s spokesperson described strategic economic clusters as local job hotspots outside central London. The plan is intended to protect land needed by businesses, safeguard affordable workspaces for start-ups and support infrastructure such as data centres, digital connectivity, energy systems and logistics networks.

The proposals do not remove the concerns raised by residents, and the economic figures associated with the developments remain projections or claims made by the organisations involved. Their eventual impact will depend on delivery, infrastructure, access to employment and the distribution of benefits across the borough.

What is the background to the development?

Hammersmith and Fulham has pursued a local industrial strategy focused on science, technology, engineering, media and medicine. The White City Innovation District was established through cooperation between the council and Imperial College London, while Earl’s Court and Olympia represent large-scale redevelopment of former exhibition and event sites.

The three locations are not new development concepts. Earl’s Court and Olympia have already been subject to major regeneration proposals, while White City has been developing as an innovation and research centre for several years. Their inclusion in the draft London Plan places them within a wider London strategy for economic growth.

The plan’s strategic economic cluster approach is designed to identify important employment locations beyond the traditional central London office market. In Hammersmith and Fulham, the selected sites combine future housing, cultural attractions, commercial workspace, research institutions and technology businesses.

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How could the clusters affect local residents and businesses?

If the projects are delivered as planned, local residents could see more employment, training, cultural facilities, shops, hospitality venues and educational opportunities in the surrounding areas. Businesses may benefit from increased visitor numbers, new workspace, improved infrastructure and closer links with research and innovation organisations.

The immediate effects are likely to be mixed. Construction may create jobs and investment, but it can also bring noise, dust, traffic and pressure on transport networks. The extent to which residents benefit will depend on whether training and employment routes are clearly communicated and accessible to people living near the developments.

For local businesses, the clusters may create new customers and opportunities to supply major projects. For residents, the key issue will be whether the economic growth promised by the developments produces practical benefits beyond higher visitor numbers and new commercial activity.