Own a home in Shepherds Bush? Time to say thanks to Westfield
If you own a home in Shepherds Bush you better add the Westfield shopping mall to your Christmas card list. Sound crazy?
It’s not. Because Westfield (now owned by the French company Unibai-Rodamco-Westfield) has ploughed more than £2.3billion into W12. That’s a staggering amount. And the big investment has helped kick-start a wave of development in the Wood Lane area which is now protecting the value of your home from the UK’s other economic stresses. Just call it the ‘John Lewis effect’.
Our area of west London has always been attractive to families and landlords alike. It’s got great parks, schools and Zone 2 transport links. But the combination of new homes, jobs and businesses in this new Wood Lane neighbourhood – in developments such as Imperial College and Television Centre – are proving hugely attractive.
Over the past decade, the mall has helped create more than 12,000 jobs to handle the incredible 80,000 shoppers who arrive each day. Thousands of new homes are also being built. It’s all made the case for Shepherds Bush as a destination. Even the local council agrees: “Westfield has brought jobs, genuinely affordable homes and economic vitality,” says H&F’s leader, Stephen Cowan.
“More recently, it’s become central to our industrial strategy which seeks to build H&F into a global leader in the bio-tech, digital and arts sectors, and bring the best possible start-up and career opportunities for all our residents.”
More than 260 million people have visited Westfield shopping centre since it opened in 2008, generating £9bn in sales. The original 43-acre Westfield site cost £1.7bn to build and consisted of 265 shops and 50 restaurants.
The shopping mall paid £7m towards improving the local infrastructure, including £3.9m of improvements to Shepherds Bush Overground station and 578 new cycle parking spaces. Its new £600m expansion houses the new £33m John Lewis flagship store.
So, when it comes to keeping H&F safe as houses, we should all be big fans of Westfield. If you’d like to know more about buying or renting in Shepherds Bush, drop by the office and one of the team would be happy to provide you with our expert advice.
Christmas at Westfield
Now that you’ve written your Christmas card to Westfield, hurry down to the shopping mall to take advantage of some of the seasonal fun before it’s too late.
Santa’s grotto is always a major draw for the little ones. This year, Westfield’s snowflake grotto will transport the whole family to snow factory in the North Pole. Children can create their own snowflake and meet Santa in his icy snow chamber.
Every child will receive a gift and have their photo taken with Santa. Visits last up to 25 minutes.
But it’s not all about Santa. Step inside the new ‘Four Realms’ experience to see the magic inspired by Disney’s current cinematic take on The Nutcracker. Designed by pranksters Bompas & Parr it is a clever nod to the Keira Knightley film.
The Land of Snowflakes has a tricky icy mirror maze; you can smell, taste and bounce through the beautiful Land of Flowers; make your way through the Land of Sweets – a candy funhouse full of sweet themed obstacles – before arriving at the fourth realm, a mysterious circus land where a magical Christmas secret is finally revealed.
The experience lasts up to 30 minutes. Runs until December 31.
