Development will creat modern town centre providing thousands of jobs and schools

The company behind a $4.5 billion pound regeneration project that is set to transform parts of North West London into a modern town centre has dismissed fears the project will be delayed again after announcing tenants must be secured before work can begin.

Hammersons, the main contractor behind the Brent Cross Cricklewood development, previously shifted the date for construction from 2013 to 2016 and made the new announcement in its annual report to the city.

A spokesman for the company said we will ‘look to secure early interest from retailers on major mixed use schemes such as Brent Cross Cricklewood, however we anticipate start on site will remain around 2016 as planned.’

The announcement comes after a one of its partners Brookefield Europe suddenly pulled out of the project last year.

If all phases of the 20-year development are completed it is expected to provide 27,000 jobs, 7,500 homes, thousands of square metres of office space, three new schools, health facilities, a train station, a bus station, parks, a waste and energy plant and road improvements.

A new High Street and public square will also be built on the 150 hectare plot of land -equivalent to 200 football pictures - between Brent Cross shopping centre in the north and Cricklewood Lane in the south and the A5 in the west and A41 in the east.

Whitefield Estate, Hendon Leisure Centre, Whitefield School, Mapledown School and Claremont Primary School, all in Claremont Road, will all be knocked down to make way for the development.

However much of the work is dependent upon the financial success of earlier phases.

Barnet Council finalized the planning application for the scheme last year in the face of stiff opposition from a vocal coalition of groups and individuals unhappy with parts of the project.

The Coalition for a Sustainable Brent Cross says the project is flawed and the planned infra-structure will be unable to cope with a predicted 27,000 extra car journeys a day – a figure the council disputes after commissioning a second assessment – calling for a light railway system to be built.

Barnet Council has now agreed to conduct a study towards the end of the year on the effects of additional traffic on the A5 Edgware Road after Brent Council expressed concern over an earlier assessment which only considered Barnet.

The Coalition is also unhappy over the waste and energy plant that experts say uses unproven technology that could emit dangerous toxins close to schools and homes.

The plant will be fed by household waste from across North London and converted into energy which will be used to provide power to offices and homes.

However there is a lot of legal wrangling that must be worked through before the project can continue.

Bestway a cash and carry in Geron Way is fighting plans to force it to sell up to make way for the waste and energy plant while campaigners say they will fight the legality of the proposals at every stage of the process delaying the project even further.