Westfield expansion in Shepherds Bush given go-ahead
Westfield shopping centre in west London is set to be extended after the mayor approved plans which include a department store and 1,300 homes.
The £1bn scheme will have a John Lewis store, as well as more restaurants, office space and a leisure complex.
It is estimated that 6,700 permanent jobs will be created and 160 homes will be affordable, and 40% socially rented.
Opponents said the scheme included a "woefully inadequate" level of affordable housing.
Mayor of London Boris Johnson said the expansion would see Shepherds Bush remain as a leading shopping destination for years to come.
But Tom Copley, London Assembly Labour group housing spokesman, said: "By approving yet another development where the vast majority of homes will be beyond the reach of people on low and middle incomes, he has shown himself to favour big profits for developers over the needs of ordinary Londoners."
The 230,000 sq ft (20,000 sq m) John Lewis store will operate over four floors, creating about 600 new jobs, and is set to open in 2017.
The development sits within the White City Opportunity Area - one of more than 30 areas designated by the mayor with significant capacity for new housing, commercial and other development.
The area is also undergoing the redevelopment of BBC Television Centre in Wood Lane and a new campus for Imperial College, Imperial West, which the mayor's office says will create 5,000 homes and 10,000 jobs in total.