AYH boss sets sites on ambitious Ealing Town Hall redevelopment

AYH chairman David Thompson is bidding to overhaul a key four-acre site in the centre of Ealing, West London.

Thompson’s development company Exemplar Properties has teamed up with property group Helical Bar to pitch for the £175m mixed-use scheme, called Dickens Yard. The two parties have formed a subsidiary of Helical Bar called Helical Exemplar to work on mixed-use developments.

A public exhibition, held by Ealing Council, began last week displaying four proposed schemes for the site. The other three bidders are St George, Barratts and Centros Miller. A decision is due in December. The site is behind Ealing Town Hall, just west of the Broadway rail and tube station and will house a mix of housing, retail and offices.

Thompson, who joined new firm Exemplar in June 2004 as a non-executive director, said he was enjoying life as a client. “It’s revitalising and a real breath of fresh air,” he said. “After 40 years as a consultant I’m looking to do ten years as a developer. It’s good fun.”

Thompson said the development was crucial for Ealing. He said: “It’s a sensitive site but there is great potential. It will help Ealing defend itself against the new White City shopping centre in Shepherds Bush.” The council said the decision on the developer for the scheme would be one of the biggest it had made in ten years.

Helical Exemplar’s team on the Dickens yard scheme includes contractor Sir Robert McAlpine as construction advisor, AYH as QS, architect EPR and engineering consultants Whitby Bird and Hoare Lea.

Thompson remains non-executive chairman at AYH, which was bought by Dutch engineering group Arcadis for £21m in the summer. During his 27-year stint at the firm he led a management buyout at the firm in 1999. He sold his shares in the firm last year.

Exemplar was set up two years ago by former Development Securities directors Clive Bush and Daniel Van Gelder. The firm is working on properties worth a total value of more than £300m.