New chapter in history of former factory

Genesis Housing Group together with Hammersmith and Fulham Council, has opened Factory Quarter, a brand new flagship development of more than 450 homes in the heart of one of London’s most desirable locations.

It comprises 104 homes for affordable rent, 185 properties available through part-buy/part-rent and the remaining 165 are for outright sale.

The development also includes a large commercial area with a community meeting space, café, and health centre as well as a number of retail units and in the centre is a landscaped area and playground.

The site itself has a rich history. From 1904 carriage lamps and switch boards, then the pioneering dynamo-charged battery were manufactured there. During the Second World War aircraft and tanks were built on the site, which was bombed during the Blitz, and evidence of its past was found early on in construction when a huge underground bunker was discovered.

The Factory Quarter event launch saw the Leader of Hammersmith and Fulham Council, Councillor Stephen Greenhalgh, take a tour of one of the shared ownership flats as well as the penthouse roofs. He said of the scheme: “This is fantastic news for hard working middle income earners who want to live in Hammersmith and Fulham but have not been able to afford to. Owning your own home gives you a greater stake in your community, a greater stake in your own future prosperity and more choice.

“Average house prices in the borough are over £450,000, well out of the reach of many hard working families but schemes like this show that it is possible to get a foothold on the property ladder even during these tough economic times. This is exactly the kind of scheme that helps us to make Hammersmith and Fulham a borough of opportunity and I applaud Genesis for their efforts.’

Neil Hadden, Genesis’ Group chief executive, officially opened the scheme with a ribbon cutting ceremony. He said :‘'Everyone at Genesis is immensely proud of Factory Quarter. The fact that these fantastic new homes were finished seven months ahead of schedule is testament to the hard work from all parties involved. I would like to wish all the new residents a very happy life in their new homes.”