Park Royal is an area mostly positioned in the borough of Brent in North West London and is located between the areas of Harlesden, Alperton and Stonebridge Park. Part of Park Royal is also located in the borough of Ealing.
The area has a varied history, it was home to a variety of engineering firms and the Guinness brewery. Queens Park Rangers F.C. once played in Park Royal and the first ever rugby league test match took place in December 1908 on the Park Royal Ground. Additionally, the Guinness Sports Club played host to several field hockey events during the 1948 Olympic Games.
In 2021, the average property price in Park Royal was £454,498 which makes the area considerably more affordable than Brondesbury Park with its average property price of £1,085,946. Property in Park Royal is also more affordable than in nearby Harlesden, with its average of £528,300. Conversely, Park Royal house prices are generally more expensive than in Stonebridge Park, which is a short distance north and has an average property price of £270,000.
Most of the properties sold in the last 12 months in Park Royal were flats, fetching an average price of £391,368. Terraced properties in Park Royal reached an average price of £546,000 and the area's detached properties averaged £644,983. Overall, property prices in the Park Royal area fell by 3% from 2020 however they were 7% higher than in 2017 when the average sat at £426,078.
What is living in Park Royal like?
Park Royal is perhaps best known for being home to London's largest business park, which spans approximately 1,200 acres and comprises more than 1,000 companies providing employment to thousands of workers.
Park Royal has several residential housing areas which are served by a selection of amenities including local shops and supermarkets. Residential development in the area is on-going, and there are tens of thousands of homes planned, which is likely to make Park Royal a more attractive location to live in the future.
The area also benefits from local access to green space and the Park Royal industrial estate is segmented by the Grand Union Canal, which provides access to pedestrians via a towpath.
Living in Park Royal pros and cons
Pro: Good transport connections
Offering easy access to the A40 and A406, Park Royal has excellent road connectivity with the rest of London and beyond. This also means that a number of London buses serve the area.
There are also several stations within easy reach, including Park Royal Station on the Piccadilly line, Hanger Lane Station on the Central line, and Harlesden Station and Stonebridge Park Station which are both on the Bakerloo and Watford DC lines. Park Royal is in Zone 3.
The area is also served by several cycle routes, including the 40, 84, and 85 with plans to construct a new Cycle Superhighway which would connect Park Royal and Hyde Park.
Con: Primarily an industrial area
Currently Park Royal is primarily an area of industry, and further development will be required for many to view it as a relaxing and pleasant place to live. The area does have all the basic elements needed to nurture a thriving community, so potential buyers and renters may wish to be one of the first to build and benefit from what is primed to be an excellent place to live and work.
Pro: Selection of nearby amenities
As well as offering relatively easy access to green spaces, the area benefits from a good selection of amenities including the family-friendly Royale Leisure Park, which houses a cinema, gym, numerous chain restaurants, table tennis tables and a tenpin bowling alley.
There are eight schools located within a mile of Park Royal including the Holy Family Catholic Primary School which has been rated as 'Outstanding' by Ofsted. Many of the other schools in the area have been rated as 'Good' including Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Primary School, West Twyford Primary School, and Alperton Community School.
Con: Traffic
As Park Royal is a place of employment for thousands of people, the area can become heavily congested particularly during rush hour. This can also make parking tricky, which is something that vehicle owners will need to be mindful of.
Additionally,it is worth noting that Park Royal is within the expanded ULEZ Zone, which means that drivers of vehicles that don't conform to its emissions standards will need to factor in the daily charge to drive within the zone.
Is Park Royal a safe place to live?
Park Royal is located within the East Acton neighbourhood policing team. Between January 2020 and December 2021, there were 4,845 crimes reported in the area including 1,233 violent crimes, 1,050 vehicle offences, and 931 cases of theft.
Crime in the area peaked during October 2020 when there were 233 crimes reported. Crime was also high in October 2021 when 222 crimes were recorded, however since then crime has fallen sharply with 164 crimes reported in December 2021.
In November 2021, there were 34 reports of theft from a vehicle in East Acton, 29 reports of harassment, and 25 cases of miscellaneous theft. During this time, the area around the Asda Park Royal superstore was a hotspot for crimes involving theft from a vehicle and harassment.
Statistics show that crime in the area throughout November 2021 was slightly higher than across the borough and the rest of London as a whole, with 10 crimes per 1,000 residents being reported. This compares to eight crimes per 1,000 residents recorded across the borough of Ealing and the wider city of London. Crime is also higher in Park Royal than it is across the borough of Brent, which also recorded a crime rate of eight crimes per 1,000 residents.
Which celebrities live in Park Royal?
Although Park Royal in particular isn't known for being home to any famous faces, many notable people have spent time living in the boroughs of Brent and Ealing.
Musicians Rita Ora, Lily Allen, and Paloma Faith have all lived in Brent, as has comedian David Baddiel, actor Tracy-Ann Oberman and DJ Annie Mac. Comedian Sanjeev Bhaskar was born in Ealing, comedian Shappi Khorsandi grew up in Ealing, and actor Alan Rickman spent his formative years living on Lynton Road in Acton.
Things to consider when moving to Park Royal
Although there are some residential areas in the Park Royal area, it is currently mostly known as an industrial part of North West London, offering employment to more than 14,000 people.
While the area is home to a handful of pubs, residents often travel a short distance to nearby Ealing to enjoy the bars, theatres and restaurants on offer there. Park Royal does benefit from excellent transport connections, so exploring the nightlife and entertainment on offer in neighbouring areas is simple.
There are a few parks and green spaces nearby, including Pitshanger Park in Ealing, which is located beside the river and offers several play areas for children as well as tennis courts, bowls courts and football pitches. Keen golfers can also enjoy the nearby Ealing Golf Course.
Overall, Park Royal is an affordable area within North West London and if proposed development projects go ahead it also has the potential to be transformed into an excellent residential area too.