The Site and History
The site sits within Park Royal, the largest industrial area in London, and the OPDC, the largest regeneration area in Europe.
The site is bordered by Portal Way to the West, A4000 to the North and Wales Farm Road to the East.
Currys PLC relocated from One Portal Way in 2022 after moving to a permanent hybrid working model and no longer requiring an office of this size. In response, we have developed a plan to temporarily occupy part of the building alongside the construction of the first phase of the masterplan development, helping to support local jobs and economic growth in the area. Visit our Meanwhile Science and Tech Hub tab to find out more.
The site received planning consent for a new 32 storey residential building, granted in 2016.To better reflect the current and future needs of Ealing, North Acton and local people, planning permission was granted in 2024 for the One Portal Way masterplan following extensive consultation. These proposals will create a new green heart for North Acton, delivering new homes, public green space, workspace and local amenities on a brownfield site, including 384 student or co-living rooms and 1,325 residential homes for sale and rent including 35% affordable housing sitewide. Find our more on our Masterplan page.
Since the original application was proposed, Imperial have identified an increased need for student accommodation. In response this demand, we’ve updated our plans to provide more student accommodation, including at affordable rents. Find out more on our 2026 update page.
Site History
With its excellent road, rail, and canal links, Park Royal was developed for industrial use, mainly during the 1930s. From 1950 the outward expansion of London meant the village communities on the fringe of Park Royal began to merge into Greater London.
By the 1970s Park Royal had become a thriving industrial estate and home to leading manufacturers. In particular, the area was known for the manufacture of telephone equipment, due to the presence of the telecoms manufacturer S.G. Brown.
In the late 20th Century Park Royal continued to build on its reputation to become Europe’s largest industrial estate, accommodating a range of industries including manufacturing, distribution, and TV/film.
Today Park Royal accommodates a broad range of industries, and it is the major food production quarter of London. The Park Royal Atlas study (June 2018) has found that 75% of businesses are small workplaces. The 1% of workplaces that are large businesses includes a number of large food manufacturers like Bakkavor, a ready meal manufacturer, and several industrial bakeries like McVitie’s, perhaps the largest household name to be based in Park Royal.
THE EMERGING CONTEXT
This change responds to planning policy which identifies this part of North Acton as an area where significant regeneration is expected and encouraged. Allocated within the ‘Old Oak and Park Royal Opportunity Area – North Acton’ (‘OOPR OA’) designation, One Portal Way sits at the heart of this change and is recognised as an important site that can help drive wider improvements to the area. It also forms part of the ‘Park Royal Southern Gateway’ designation, a key location where new development is planned to support the long-term renewal of the neighbourhood and improve connections around North Acton station.