TfL and Barratt London partner for 450 new homes in Wembley

TfL and Barratt London partner for 450 new homes in Wembley

The green light has been given for Transport for London (TfL) and Barratt London’s second joint venture. Brent Council has approved their proposal for 454 new homes by Wembley Park London Underground station.

The new development, which covers a 1.6-acre site, will include 40% affordable housing, a retail unit, improvements to public spaces and new operational space for TfL.

Designed by TateHindle architects, the new homes will be delivered across five buildings and will be a mixture of studio, one, two and three-bedroom properties.

The affordable homes will be offered as a combination of intermediate housing, such as shared ownership, and London Affordable Rent.

To help improve air quality in the capital and in line with the Mayor’s Transport Strategy, the development will be car-free for residents, with the exception of blue badge parking. The proximity of Wembley Park station, serviced by both the Jubilee and Metropolitan lines as well as a number of bus routes, enables the residents to more easily make the switch from driving to public transport. It’s also hoped the provision of cycle parking within the development will encourage residents to cycle when making journeys.

With green and biodiverse roofs, the planting of new trees and hedges, as well as wildlife-friendly landscaping such as bird boxes and bee bricks included as part of the scheme, the designs aim to positively enhance the local environment.

The development will also use renewable forms of energy through solar panels and air source heat pumps. The homes have been designed to encourage natural light within them and reduce energy usage; 70% of the homes are dual aspect and the remainder have been designed to ensure that they are not north facing.

Emma Hatch, senior property development manager at TfL, said: “We are thrilled to get the go-ahead for our development at Wembley, which will deliver hundreds of new homes as well as a new retail opportunity and improvements for the local community.

“This is the second project with Barratt London and builds on our track record for delivering much-needed new homes in the capital. Our first homes at Blackhorse View in Waltham Forest started selling earlier this year, showing our developments have been designed thoughtfully with both the community and residents in mind.”

The Wembley Park scheme forms part of TfL’s housing programme, which aims to provide 10,000 homes across the capital as well as a commitment to deliver 50% affordable housing on average across all sites brought to the market since May 2016.

TfL launched their Property Partnership Framework in 2016, which provides a pool of partners eligible to bid to work with TfL in joint ventures as sites become available.

600 homes green-lit for TfL and Notting Hill Genesis partnership in Greenwich

600 homes green-lit for TfL and Notting Hill Genesis partnership in Greenwich

Transport for London (TfL) and Notting Hill Genesis have been given the go-ahead to deliver 619 new homes as part of their Kidbrooke Partnership LLP joint venture.

The development will be built on a vacant four-acre site in the Royal Borough of Greenwich. The scheme will comprise of eight buildings with the new homes a mixture of one, two and three-bedroom properties. Half of the new homes will be affordable through a mixture of shared ownership and London Affordable Rent.

The green-light on the project follows the decision by the Deputy Mayor, Jules Pipe, to call in the application and act as the local planning authority.

As well as new homes, the proposals for the site include new amenities for the community, such as an improved transport hub and a new village square.

The area, which is described as an under-utilised brownfield site, benefits from its proximity to the Zone 3 Kidbrooke national rail station and the bus stops on Kidbrooke Park Road. It was previously part of an RAF base and was then used as operational land during the construction of the A2. It has since been largely unoccupied, apart from Henley Cross bus stop.

Graeme Craig, director of commercial development at TfL, said: “Kidbrooke offers us a great opportunity to deliver homes the capital desperately needs and we are delighted to have been given the green light to take our proposals forward with Notting Hill Genesis.

“As well as providing hundreds of new homes, of which half will be affordable, our plans will deliver new and improved amenities for the community and support the economy of the area by providing fantastic new retail and commercial space and job opportunities. The development will also generate vital revenue to reinvest into the transport network.”

John Hughes, group director of development at Notting Hill Genesis, said: “Our vision is to create a high-quality, mixed-use development which completes the new local centre at Kidbrooke and contributes positively to the regeneration of the area for the benefit of the whole community.

“Alongside the creation of thoughtfully designed buildings, extensive public realm, business space and new amenities, we look forward to delivering 619 much needed new homes, half of which will be either London Affordable Rent or shared ownership, to meet London and Greenwich’s significant housing need.”

The Kidbrooke site forms part of TfL’s wider housing programme, which has a target to start on TfL sites with capacity for 10,000 homes by March 2021 as well as a commitment to deliver 50 per cent affordable housing across all sites brought to the market since May 2016.

Notting Hill Genesisis one of the largest housing associations in the country, with around 64,000 homes across London and the south-east, serving more than 170,000 residents.

Catalyst Housing Ltd to partner TfL for 100 per cent affordable homes scheme in Harrow

Catalyst Housing Ltd to partner TfL for 100 per cent affordable homes scheme in Harrow

Transport for London has selected Catalyst Housing Ltd as its preferred bidder to deliver around 450 homes in Harrow, all of which will be affordable.

The project will see three car parks developed in the borough to deliver the new homes, with the sites being brought forward using the Greater London Authority’s ‘London Development Panel 2’ (LDP2).

Catalyst will start detailed designs and will consult the local community before a planning application is submitted in 2019/20. The housing association, which is a member of the G15 group, has more than 21,000 homes in London and the South East.

Ian McDermott, chief executive of Catalyst said: “Catalyst is pleased to have been selected by TfL as its partner on the first opportunity to come through the London Development Panel 2 since its creation.

“All three of these schemes will provide 100% genuinely affordable housing for Londoners, and we are really looking forward to working with TfL and Harrow Council to create these new, vibrant communities.”

The three car park sites in the scheme are located at Canons Park Underground Station, Rayners Lane Underground Station and Stanmore Underground Station. TfL plans to retain commuter car parking at the three sites along with the new homes. Plans also include improvements to the localities including new trees and enhanced pedestrian and cycling connectivity.

TfL will also work with the London Borough of Harrow and local stakeholders to improve the step free access at Stanmore station.

Graeme Craig, director of commercial development at TfL, added: “We’re delighted to have appointed Catalyst as our partner and look forward to working with them to deliver hundreds of affordable homes at these prime locations next to Tube stations.

“This is another important milestone in our programme across the capital that is delivering thousands of new affordable homes, creating thousands of new jobs and generating vital revenue to reinvest in the transport network.”

Harrow tradition

Councillor Keith Ferry, deputy leader of Harrow Council, said: “Our community is crying out for affordable homes for Harrow people – so we are delighted to welcome TfL’s plans to build a better Harrow.

“Our borough was born out of the need for new homes for hardworking people near railway links – and we are pleased to see that tradition continue today.”

LDP2 enables TfL to bring sites forward with a partner who has a proven track record of delivering housing on public sector land. This new London Development Panel replaces the first LDP, which expired in 2017.

TfL has a programme in place that will see it develop 300 acres to deliver more than 10,000 homes across London. It has already submitted planning applications for more than 4,200 homes, and since May 2016, 50 per cent of its homes have been affordable.