Park Royal gets a residential revamp: former Guinness brewery in north London is being turned into thousands of new flats and offices

Park Royal industrial zone in north-west London is reinventing itself as a residential district.

Located midway between Heathrow airport and the West End, Park Royal’s transport links were the main reason for it becoming a major manufacturing and distribution base.

During its heyday in the Sixties, about 70,000 people worked there for big-name companies such as Heinz and United Biscuits.

And it is still an important commercial hub — a third of all food consumed in London is produced by Park Royal businesses.

As well as having good road and rail links, being about 25 minutes from Oxford Street, a branch of the Grand Union Canal passes through it, providing an opportunity for waterside living.

For many years, Guinness used the canal to transport barrels to Paddington for distribution to pubs

Now the old brewery site is being redeveloped into an offices-and-homes complex called First Central, headquarters of drinks company Diageo.

Regency Heights is the latest project to be unveiled, with 499 apartments in blocks overlooking parkland and lakes.

Prices start at £380,000 and Help to Buy is available on selected homes. Call Fairview Homes on 020 8003 4569.