Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation: AECOM appointed as OPDC's Old Oak Masterplanner. (Already they are Brent Cross's transport planners - presumably not with the 29,000 extra cars per day promised for the Brent Cross area.)

"Following an OJEU-compliant [that's COMPLIANT, not COMPLAINT!] procurement process, the seven short-listed bids have been evaluated and the preferred bidder is AECOM.

The objectives of the Old Oak masterplanning contract are:

• To create a masterplan that is deliverable and reflects the quality and sustainability aspirations set out in the OPDC draft Local Plan and supporting studies.
• To create a masterplan that will establish a new benchmark for successful long-term placemaking in Old Oak, west London.
• To establish an overarching approach for the delivery of the Old Oak area shared by partners and stakeholders, which delivers social and economic benefits for local communities.
• To inform OPDC planning policy.

Forecasted timeline and key milestones:

• OJEU Standstill period — 12-22 May 2017
• Contract start and mobilisation — May/June 2017
• Visioning and baseline analysis — Summer 2017
• Longlist, shortlist options (incl. engagement with stakeholders) — Autumn 2017
• Preferred option refinement, first draft strategies — Early 2018
• Final deliverables: spatial masterplan, phasing, transport, commercial and residential strategies — Spring 2018

The Old Oak masterplanning contract will allow for:

• Greater certainty for landowners, investors and stakeholders on how and when the area will be developed.
• The development of a clear delivery strategy, funding and financing strategy, land assembly strategy and business plan for OPDC as a future landowner.
• Clarity and consensus on what key site wide infrastructure is needed and where it would be located to allow for procurement and investment.
• A site wide approach to development, creating synergies between different landowners schemes.

Background on OPDC and scale of opportunity

"Old Oak and Park Royal is London’s largest Opportunity Area with a new High Speed 2 (HS2) and Crossrail Station due to be constructed at Old Oak by 2026.

"Redevelopment of the area has the potential to deliver 24,000 new homes and 55,000 jobs in Old Oak and 1,500 new homes and 10,000 jobs on the adjoining Park Royal industrial estate.

"OPDC was established in April 2015 to drive forward future development plans for the wider area.

"OPDC has full planning powers within its 650 hectare boundary that includes land in the boroughs of Hammersmith & Fulham, Ealing and Brent."