News

Wates, Mace and McAleer and Rushe have secured the first three jobs which are together worth up to £300m.

Enabling works are underway at British Land’s 53 acre, mixed-use scheme in Southwark, which will deliver up to 3,000 homes.

The first three buildings will be net zero embodied carbon calling for innovative new approaches. Operational carbon will be reduced by using electricity rather than gas for heating.

On the largest contract, the A1 tower secured by Wates, heat will be recycled from offices into the building, which British Land said was an industry first.

The 4.6 acre Dylon factory site will be transformed with a 254 apartments scheme with, undercroft basement parking, and children’s play space  within landscaped gardens.

The site already benefits from full planning consent, granted last Spring, allowing construction to start next year on a 20-month build programme.

It forms the second phase of the redevelopment of the Dylon works following on from 223 built to Crest Nicholson undertaken in 2017.

The contemporary buildings are designed for first-time buyers and will have full-height windows, balconies and tiered roofscapes complete with feature London Yellow Stock brickwork, providing a connection to nearby residential buildings.

Bob Weston, Chairman and Manging Director at Weston Homes said: “This new outer London development is part of our ongoing major growth and expansion. The business has a highly diverse range of developments, including a series of major landmark schemes commencing and many others in the pipeline.”

Over the last five years, Weston Homes has purchased land sites for over £2 bn worth of residential and mixed-use development across outer London and the South East.

This includes 20 current active sites and over 7,500 new homes in the pipeline including traditional housing and large-scale urban regeneration projects.

Redevlopment of the 6.1-ha UNEX-Thames Road Industrial Estate site will see construction of 1,610 new homes, including three-storey townhouses, lower blocks of six-to-nine storeys and taller blocks of between 15-to-18 storeys.

Alongside the new homes will be light industrial and commercial space and a two-form entry primary school. The proposal also features a major new public park along the river and community leisure facilities, such as a gym, outdoor pool, tennis court, rooftop running track and café.

If approved, construction of the masterplan designed by Glenn Howells Architects and HAL architects will start in 2023, with the site anticipated to complete 2027.

The site is currently occupied by several industrial warehouses, a concrete batching plant and a scrap yard. It was identified as suitable for mixed-use development in the Newham Local Plan 2018.

John Mulryan, Group Managing Director at Ballymore, said: “We look forward to continuing the regeneration story of this area of London as we have been able to define much of Newham’s riverfront through our Royal Wharf and Riverscape developments.

“As well as providing much-needed new homes for London, our vision is to create an area that excites and inspires, opening up the riverfront for everyone and forming a vibrant, dynamic and amenity-rich new neighbourhood.”

The Partnership’s ambitious masterplan for the project has capacity for up to 2,800 homes in a major mixed-use canal-side town centre with a forecast development value of £1.7bn.

The project will involve restoration of an historic canal basin, and a generous mix of retail, including a 130,000 sq ft Sainsbury’s, leisure, community and small business workspace.

As part of this project, a new 130,000 sq ft Sainsbury’s store will provide a fresh, modern approach to trading with increased capacity for home delivery services. The agreement will ensure continuity of trading within the existing store until the day the new store opens.

Sean Mulryan, Chairman of Ballymore, said: “Partnerships like this one show the type of innovative approach needed to tackle London’s housing shortage.

“We are pleased to be a step closer to submitting an application and realising our ambitions of a mixed-use scheme that will transform the area.

“We’ve commenced early consultation with local stakeholders and look forward to hearing directly from local people how they envisage the future site can best suit the needs of the local community”.

Designs from architects AHMM include 72 high-quality homes alongside 14,000sqm of new innovative office space plus a public courtyard and 182-room hotel.

Groveworld’s Senior Development Manager Ross Jacobson said: “This is a significant milestone for an exciting project and our plans to revitalise 330 Gray’s Inn Road have been shaped by an extensive programme of engagement over the last 18 months with the London Borough of Camden and the local community.

“The designs will create an exciting new community that, aside from providing much-needed new homes for the borough, will deliver a mix of open spaces and high-quality facilities our residents and neighbours can enjoy.

“Our hope is that this will become an important site in the Knowledge Quarter as it continues to grow and flourish.”

 The lead architect for the project, AHMM Director Philip Turner added: “We have worked closely with Groveworld and Camden Council since May 2019, to develop an intricate masterplan of five buildings for 330 Gray’s Inn Road.

“The final plans represent an exemplary design that has sought to reflect the historical grain of the King’s Cross Conservation Area, and will offer something for everyone, from open spaces to high-quality leisure facilities and a state-of-the-art lifestyle hotel where new and existing residents will be able to work, relax and socialise with friends and family.”

The application will now be referred to the GLA and Groveworld hope to start works early next year as talks now begin with potential main contractors.

The Blackwall Yard scheme will involve five buildings rising from nine and 39-storeys tall, around a listed graving dock on the north banks of the Thames.

Masterplanned by Glenn Howells, the 1.7ha site will feature 35% affordable homes, as well as a primary school, community hub and 1,500m² commercial and retail spaces spread over the ground and lower levels.

Proposals include creating a direct public connection between the Thames Path and East India DLR.

The old graving dock will also feature an open-air swimming pool.

The historic graving dock will become an amphitheatre-style garden looking across the Thames to the Millennium Dome

Glenn Howells’ partner architects include Panter Hudspith and White Arkitekter with Blue Sky Building on board as project manager and Buro Happold acting as civil, structural and M&E engineer.

Enabling works are underway at British Land’s 53 acre, mixed-use scheme in Southwark, which will deliver up to 3,000 homes.

The Homes England funding will enable British Land to accelerate residential elements of its scheme by around three years.

Also British Land confirmed today that first phase building contracts will be placed with firms over the next few months.

Kier, Laing O’Rourke, Mace and Wates are understood to have been among the firms in talks with British Land to deliver the first three buildings on the 5m sq ft scheme.

“Housing is central to our plan to deliver a new and vibrant town centre for London, where people can live and work and local communities can come together. Their support enables us to progress more quickly and is a testament to the quality of space we will deliver.”

Countryside will now lease the second and third phase of Peel Place to Home Group, one of the UK’s largest housing associations, at the end of this month.

The development designed by CGL Architects will deliver 308 new homes to the London Borough of Brent increasing the proportion of affordable homes on the site from 18% to 40% as well.

To benefit the local community and new residents, the approved plans include a health centre, gym, a new public plaza and retail and commercial spaces.

Daniel Layton, Managing Director, Partnerships North London, Countryside, said: “Having worked closely with our partners, Brent Council and Home Group, this is a significant milestone in the journey for Peel and the community in this part of the capital.”

Will Gardner, Director of Development at Home Group, said: “We are delighted to have been given the green light on such an important development for Brent. Peel will deliver much needed affordable housing, as well as community facilities. We are also looking forward to further strengthening the excellent partnership we enjoy with Countryside.”