The first public consultation into plans by the Mayor of London to transform Old Oak Common in Harlesden into a brand new city is taking place today.

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The £5billion plans, which includes land within the boroughs of Brent, Ealing and Hammersmith & Fulham, promises to boost the economy in the area by £15billion through the creation of a up to 24,000 homes and more than 55,000 jobs.

The new city on the 950 hectare site will be called Old Oak Park and also become a major transport hub where High Speed 2 meets Crossrail, creating super-fast links in and out of the area.

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It will also offer community and sports facilities around a Central Square, leading on to a market, shops and a new high street.

In addition a “world famous cultural institution” will move to the development with speculation the Science Museum could recloate its archives of 170,000 unexhibited scientific objects from their current storage area in South Kensington to the site.

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The development will be delivered over the next 20 to 30 years.

Cllr Muhammed Butt, leader of Brent Council said: “Brent Council fully supports the regeneration of Old Oak and Park Royal because of the fantastic transport connections and large amount of new homes and jobs that will be created.

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“Given the scale of these proposals and the effect of the transformation on the wider area, I would urge everyone to go and have a look at the plans, give their feedback and help shape the future of Brent for the better.”

Today’s public consultation, which includes a drop in session and workshop, takes place at Harlesden Methodist Church in High Street, Harlesden, from 2pm – 5pm.

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For more information about the plans and the other public consultation dates visit here.