Kensal Canalside
- Client: Ballymore (London Arena) Limited and Sainsbury’s Supermarkets Limited
- Architect: FaulknerBrowns, Hutchinson+Partners and Maccreanor Lavington
- Contacts: Jon Roshier, Ailish Collins, Nia Jardine
- LPA: Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
In November 2025, Rolfe Judd Planning gained planning approval for a new major canalside neighbourhood in Ladbroke Grove on behalf of Ballymore and Sainsbury’s.
The proposed new neighbourhood has been designed to deliver 2,519 much-needed new homes, of which at least 500 will be affordable. The scheme provides a new local high street alongside two parks and a reinstated historic canal basin at its heart. The proposals include over 15,950sqm of high street shops, cafes, and restaurants, as well as a new Sainsbury’s Supermarket, all of which will positively support the local area and new residents.
The masterplan, led by FaulknerBrowns Architects, has been shaped over the last five years, in close consultation with the local community, local councillors, and the GLA to create a place that meets the area’s current and future needs.
Two public parks and inclusive play spaces, designed by landscape architecture and design practice Spacehub, form part of the proposals, as well as diverse natural habitats and interventions to support urban wildlife and biodiversity net gain. This includes grassland, woodland, wetland, and canal basin habitats. In total, the neighbourhood will offer over 8.5 acres of high quality, publicly accessible open space.
The scheme has been based on sustainable design and construction practices, adopting circular economy principles by considering the lifecycle of materials and minimising waste.
