Nine months ago the target was to start construction in 2025; now it is 2026. The plans have also been scaled back a little.

Today’s proposals reveal a 20% increase in open space and a 10% reduction in the amount of development compared to the plans shown in February.

The £6bn Earls Court masterplan now shows around 4,000 new homes, instead of 4,500 in the previous iteration nine months ago, along with more than 2.5 million sq ft of workspace and 200,000 sq ft of space for retail, dining, leisure and culture.

There is a decrease in the number of buildings taller than the existing Empress State building (at 31 storeys) from four to just one taller building of 42 storeys.

The previous plan was for workspace and offices for 15,000 jobs; now it is 12,000.

Some 60% of the site will be unbuilt, with gardens, open spaces and public squares.

A hybrid planning application is expected to be submitted in mid-2024.

The Earls Court exhibition centres closed in 2014 and were demolished in 2015 by the previous owner, Capital & Counties (Capco). Capco sold the empty site to Delancey and Dutch pension fund manager APG in November 2019, which formed the Earls Court Development Company (ECDC).

The plans continue to evolve since discussions with community groups and stakeholders began in 2021, ECDC said.

ECDC chief executive Rob Heasman said: “There is no other central London site like this; this is our chance to build sustainably and innovatively for the future, ensuring that Earls Court is a place to discover wonder for generations to come.”

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