Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation (OPDC) have today opened its doors to some of the fascinating buildings and businesses for Open House weekend to uncover the heritage and culture at the heart of this unique, yet little-known area in west London.

The programme designed by OPDC and Open House working with local businesses is an invitation to visitors to find out more about sites of interest, key landmarks and the industrial heritage of what could be argued to be London’s best kept secret in zones 2 and 3.

The OPDC was established by the Mayor of London to oversee one of the UK’s largest regeneration schemes, delivering 25,500 new homes and creating 65,000 new jobs in west London. The total boundary area of Old Oak and Park Royal covers 650 hectares of land, with the core development area in Old Oak amounting to around 160 football pitches. The remaining hectares, in Park Royal, make up London’s biggest industrial landscape and is home to 2,000 businesses employing more than 40,000 people. This key industrial land provides London with 240,000 bouquets of flowers, 300,000 rolls of sushi, 240,000 books to university libraries, and £2.1 billion to the UK economy.

During Open House weekend (22-23 September 2018) there is a full programme of walking tours and activities for families and people of all ages to unravel the stories of industry, film and transport in the area. Businesses opening their doors include the famous Ace Cafe, The Collective co-living and co-working building and The Old Torpedo Factory. Visitors can also use the OPDC Open House MapGuide all year-round to explore the locations indicated and get under the skin of this diverse area.

Liz Peace CBE, Chairman, Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation, said:

"I am delighted to be a keynote speaker at the launch of Open House London - the world’s largest architecture festival, giving free public access to hundreds of buildings, walks, talks and tours over one weekend in September each year. I am equally pleased that we are able to offer some of the unique places in Park Royal as participants in this festival. This has been made possible by the generous injection of funds from the Heritage Lottery Fund and Art’s Council England who are supporting OPDC in a three-year programme that uses arts and heritage-based activities, including this collaboration for Open House weekend, to uncover and showcase the fascinating but little-known history of Park Royal. It is through programmes and partnerships like these that local residents and businesses can be genuinely involved in shaping the future regeneration of Old Oak - but also ensuring that its exciting past is not forgotten."