The London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham has approved plans for a state-of-the-art recycling centre to be built at Old Oak Sidings, Willesden Junction, in West London, one of the only sites in London with such ideal connections between road, rail and canal. The plans by Powerday plc, are backed by English Welsh & Scottish Railway Ltd (EWS) and British Waterways, London, and could see over a million tonnes of material moved off the roads each year.

British Waterways, London, and EWS will now work with Powerday and Park Royal Partnership to develop the rail and canal elements of the project to take materials off the roads. Particular growth areas include non-time sensitive cargoes such as construction materials, waste and recyclables, which do not need to be carried by road.

Gordon Cox, EWS Account Manager for Construction and Petroleum, said: "The Willesden Hub has one of London‘‘s densest concentrations of railways and there is great capacity here for expanding rail freight. EWS has worked closely with Powerday on its application, and we are pleased that next year reliable and efficient EWS rail freight operations will commence at this new site. The combined road, rail and canal access to Powerday‘‘s recycling centre presents a unique opportunity to show just how sustainable transport can work, underlying the importance of rail freight to London."

Phase 1 of the new centre could now be up and running early next year. When Phase 2 is completed, the centre will be capable of processing 1.6 million tonnes of waste each year, recycling 88% of materials. Old Oak Sidings benefits from access to the Grand Union Canal and 26 ‘‘lock-free‘‘ miles from Camden to Slough.

Powerday plans to train and employ 150 local people and establish a centre of excellence for training more professionals in the skills needed for recycling and other clean technologies. With one of the largest concentrations of industrial activity in the South East, the local urban regeneration agency, Park Royal Partnership, sees the Old Oak Sidings proposal as a major opportunity for the area.

London‘‘s waterways are primarily used today as a leisure resource, however, there is significant capacity for reviving canal freight. During the 1920s, the Paddington Arm of the Grand Union Canal carried approximately one million tonnes of materials per year. The proposals for Old Oak Sidings would see over 500,000 tonnes (the equivalent of 100,000 lorry journeys) carried annually, with only 25 barge movements per day.