Work to build an entirely affordable development and repair a local landmark in Bridgwater is now underway. Leading housing provider Stonewater, in partnership with regeneration specialist Vistry Partnerships and supported by Macegreen Consulting and Sedgemoor District Council, is constructing 80 new homes on land owned by Homes England. To support
An apprentice who works for a property maintenance company has won an award from the college where he studies. Sam Cooper, an apprentice property maintenance operative at Platform Property Care – a subsidiary of Platform Housing Group, one of the UK’s largest social landlords – has been awarded a Best
Clarion Housing Group celebrated the handover of 25 new one and two bedroom affordable homes at Pembroke House in Camberley, Surrey at an official event, alongside Mayor of Surrey Heath, Cllr Sarah Jane Croke and local dignitaries. Constructed by Berkeley in partnership with Surrey Heath Borough Council, the new affordable
Cordia, Hungary’s leading residential property developer is continuing its expansion in the UK residential property market: its local subsidiary is building a complex of 366 rental apartments, bringing the total number of homes planned for the West Midlands region to over 1,800. Cordia, member of Futureal Group has reached its
A landmark 20 storey 100% affordable residential tower in West Ealing, London has been granted approval on Appeal, with the Inspector praising the ‘exemplary design.’ The development – 55 West – will provide 144 affordable apartments, with split level ground floor amenity and communal spaces. 50 of the homes will be London
Enfield Council and Vistry Partnerships have completed a development agreement which will see at least 250 affordable homes built on the next phase of the borough’s transformational Meridian Water programme. The development agreement which was signed on Wednesday 20th October will mean all the homes on the site of the
‘Addition’ was established to create and sell high quality, sustainable homes in Lambeth which, in turn, will provide funding for more affordable homes in Lambeth. Beam is launched as the second residential development to be unveiled by Addition. Beam is part of Homes for Lambeth’s small sites programme and is
A showhome is set to be unveiled this month at a new development on a former school site in Forest Hill. Bellway London Partnerships will be opening the doors to a showhome at Dacres Wood Court – a 59-apartment development on the former home of Our Lady and St Philip
Selling the old to move onto the new can feel like a painfully long task, but what if there was a way to speed this up? Research suggests the average UK home selling times take 4.2 months on average from first day of marketing to legal completion. When you’re looking to start a new chapter
New housing block to be named after Keith Shaw, an early arrival from the Caribbean who helped establish Metropolitan housing and was a long-standing local resident KeithShaw House will include 50 affordable homes, part of the massive Clapham Park regeneration scheme, which MTVH has been delivering since 2008 Local dignitaries
Work to build an entirely affordable development and repair a local landmark in Bridgwater is now underway. Leading housing provider Stonewater, in partnership with regeneration specialist Vistry Partnerships and supported by Macegreen Consulting and Sedgemoor District Council, is constructing 80 new homes on land owned by Homes England. To support housing need in Bridgwater, all the homes will be available for affordable rent, with the completed development set to comprise a mix of two, three and four-bedroom houses, as well as one and two-bedroom apartments. As part of the development, Vistry is contributing £20,000 towards the refurbishment of the Willow Man statue, which is located adjacent to the scheme, and will be providing a landscaped play area for residents. Alongside the remedial works, Stonewater will also be creating a nature trail, incorporating public art, leading up to the statue’s viewing platform. To support its sustainability commitments, Stonewater will also be planting a variety of fruit and native trees around the completed development and providing herb planters so residents can cultivate and grow their own produce. All the homes will be built with a ‘fabric first’ approach, using high performing materials and adapting the principles of air tightness and ventilation, minimising each home’s energy consumption. The use of low-carbon and energy-efficient technology will be extended across the site to include the installation of air source heat pumps, solar panels and five electric car charging points. Matt Crucefix, Director of Development (South and West) at Stonewater, said: “We have developed a successful partnership, over the years, providing much-needed new homes with Vistry Partnerships and Sedgemoor District Council. “As one of the largest Homes England strategic partners alongside Guinness Partnership, we’re thrilled to be playing our part in delivering high-quality and energy efficient affordable homes that meet the needs of local people living in Bridgwater.” Barry Cummins, National Development Director at Homes England, said: “This marks a significant step forward in Stonewater’s efforts to bring 80 new, affordable and energy-efficient homes to Bridgwater. Partnerships have been vital to this development, and it’s a great example of what can be achieved by working together.” Marc Thompson, Managing Director of Vistry Partnerships West, said: “This 100% affordable housing scheme is exactly what partnership working is all about – working with Stonewater and Homes England we’ve been able to unlock a new site that will provide high-quality, energy efficient and affordable homes for local people.” A spokesman for Sedgemoor District Council said: “This is major investment commitment into new homes, new jobs and money into the local economy during a period of severe financial challenges and uncertainties. We are very happy to work with our partners to bring new affordable homes to Sedgemoor.”
An apprentice who works for a property maintenance company has won an award from the college where he studies. Sam Cooper, an apprentice property maintenance operative at Platform Property Care – a subsidiary of Platform Housing Group, one of the UK’s largest social landlords – has been awarded a Best Progress Award from Herefordshire and Ludlow College. Sam started at Platform Housing Group in November 2020 as an apprentice working towards becoming a multi skilled engineer. He combines his time at Platform with his college course which includes brickwork, plumbing, carpentry, decorating and electrics. Platform Housing Group has worked closely with Herefordshire and Ludlow College for more than 10 years, seeing many apprentices complete their studies with its support in areas including plumbing and heating, electrical and carpentry. In 2020, the two organisations worked together to introduce the property maintenance operative – or PMO – role into Platform Property Care under the apprenticeship umbrella. “Sam joined us just over a year ago, successfully gaining one of eight property maintenance operative apprenticeships placements from more than 70 applicants. This was Sam’s first success! Since then Sam has consistently demonstrated the values we believe he possessed from the point of his interview,” said Adam Rudge, Head of Voids at Platform Housing Group. Sam is a humble man who has shown honesty, commitment and dedication to learn his trade, whether this be at college or onsite in one of our empty homes. Sam is a likeable person who has fitted well into the wider void team and has developed a strong working relationship based on mutual respect with his mentor. We are all so proud of Sam and would like to encourage him to build on the success he has justifiably achieved to date.” The college awards take place annually to reward the students for their hard work. “This is a new qualification in its first year; Sam had lots to learn, including skills, knowledge and behaviours and new surroundings at college and in his workplace. He has taken it all in his stride and his commitment during what has been a tough year has been excellent. Well done Sam,” added Brian Rodgers, Apprenticeship Support and Marketing Officer at Herefordshire and Ludlow College. “Platform continues to develop its apprenticeship programme; it is not just the number of apprentices that is impressive but the individual support the apprentices receive from this forward thinking and vibrant company. Each apprentice has a mentor and is able to access support and guidance within the company. The contact with the college is superb and we have established a great working relationship. Platform most definitely put their apprentices first and is with them every step of the way. An excellent company and a well deserved award for Sam.” Since September 2021, 17 new apprentices have joined Platform Property Care; with 30 apprentices in total, this equates to 5 per cent of its total workforce.
Clarion Housing Group celebrated the handover of 25 new one and two bedroom affordable homes at Pembroke House in Camberley, Surrey at an official event, alongside Mayor of Surrey Heath, Cllr Sarah Jane Croke and local dignitaries. Constructed by Berkeley in partnership with Surrey Heath Borough Council, the new affordable apartments in Pembroke House will be sold by Clarion to eligible shared ownership buyers in and around the local area. “It was a great honour to open these new homes. Camberley is a great place to live and I’m proud that Surrey Heath Borough Council is able to deliver one of the few 100% affordable housing developments in the area,” comments Mayor of Surrey Heath Borough Council, Cllr Sarah Jane Croke. The affordable homes offer a range of layouts, set in an attractively designed three-storey apartment block in Camberley. Combining the very best of traditional and modern living, each home is built to the very high standards for which Berkeley is renowned, offering fresh, contemporary interiors, fitted kitchens and dedicated car parking. Residents at Pembroke House will be well situated to benefit from the variety of regeneration improvements taking place in Camberley. The Square shopping centre, just a 22 minute walk away, is being updated as part of the town’s regeneration plans into a brand new leisure and entertainment destination, containing around 100 shops and cafes. Alongside this, Camberley’s High Street has been awarded a £3.5 million grant to improve the roads and pavements, as well as the installation of public art, walkways and public seating within the town. Residents are also set to benefit from a brand new multi-million pound leisure centre, which will include wellness facilities such as a swimming pool, climbing wall and gym. “As house prices and private rents increase, affordable housing is vital as it means more people can afford to buy their own home who otherwise would be priced out of renting or buying on the open market. This is an excellent development and I am sure the new residents will be happy living here for many years to come,” said Cllr Adrian Page, portfolio holder for Planning and People at Surrey Heath Borough Council. Ideally situated to the south of Camberley, Pembroke House is conveniently well-connected. Camberley town centre is just over 1 mile away, offering a wide range of shops and amenities. Rail connections are second to none from Camberley station, with rail links into Central London in just over an hour, and Ascot in 12 minutes. Guildford, Farnborough, Winchester and Southampton are all within easy reach by road.
Cordia, Hungary’s leading residential property developer is continuing its expansion in the UK residential property market: its local subsidiary is building a complex of 366 rental apartments, bringing the total number of homes planned for the West Midlands region to over 1,800. Cordia, member of Futureal Group has reached its next milestone in its operations in the United Kingdom: the Birmingham-based Cordia Blackswan, acquired and renamed last year by the company has announced its next major development. Cordia Blackswan is building a complex of 366 rental apartments in Birmingham’s Digbeth district, on a site of nearly 8,000 sq m. Digbeth is a regeneration area in the centre of the UK’s second largest city, with a strong industrial heritage. This area is now recognised as a vibrant cultural, creative and diverse neighbourhood, a kind of bohemian quarter. Cordia Blackswan’s new development will feature a combination of 1, 2 and 3 bedroom units, in two ‘u’-shaped blocks of five and eight storeys, set around landscaped public realm. Residents will benefit from shared amenities, including a resident’s lounge and concierge service, with high quality private outdoor spaces including courtyards and balconies. This project is not the first residential rental development of Cordia Blackswan, as the company has a number of developments in Birmingham’s historic Jewellery Quarter, which is still home to one of Europe’s largest jewellery manufacturing communities. These include The Lamp Works, a 148-home build-to-rent apartment scheme, while Bradford Works will be the city’s first purpose built shared living scheme for young professionals, with access to high-quality communal areas and shared amenities. Although The Gothic is not a rental housing development, but is also located in the same neighbourhood: the buildings that were built in the early 19th century will be converted into Victorian-style homes with carefully restored heritage features. This development is named after the pub that welcomed visitors from 1870 until the early 2000s. Beyond its Jewellery Quarter placemaking agenda, the company is keen to support Birmingham’s growth and development more broadly and this latest acquisition in Digbeth signals the next step in Cordia Blackswan’s journey of ambitious growth. Together with the development just announced, Cordia Blackswan has a pipeline comprising over 1,800 homes, as well as 33,500 sq m space for commercial uses across the West Midlands and is actively looking for new sites across the region.
A landmark 20 storey 100% affordable residential tower in West Ealing, London has been granted approval on Appeal, with the Inspector praising the ‘exemplary design.’ The development – 55 West – will provide 144 affordable apartments, with split level ground floor amenity and communal spaces. 50 of the homes will be London Living Rent and 94 will be Shared Ownership. DMWR Architects was appointed by developer Southern Grove and Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing to prepare a detailed Planning Application for the landmark building in a highly sustainable, brownfield location adjacent to West Ealing Crossrail station. Following previous attempts by others for a 26-storey tower, DMWR was asked to put forward a fresh approach. Through intelligent and efficient planning, a significantly lower design was conceived, losing seven storeys but only five residential units. The design evolved through detailed consultation process with the local community, London Borough of Ealing and the GLA. Jeff Stokes, Director of DMWR Architects said, “We are extremely pleased that the planning inspector has overturned the original decision and granted permission for this much needed 100% affordable residential development. We have worked closely with Southern Grove and MTVH over a two-year period, developing a design concept, which has involved through extensive consultation and has led to the Inspector describing the scheme as ‘’an exemplary piece of design that would make a positive contribution to the area.” The conclusion of the report stated: “The proposal would deliver one hundred and forty-four units of much needed affordable housing in a tall building of exemplary design that would have no harmful impact on the character or appearance of the area, or the setting and thereby the significance of heritage assets. On that basis, it would optimise rather than maximise the use of the site.” Tom Slingsby, CEO of Southern Grove, said: “We couldn’t be happier with the design of 55 West.” “In a world where developments often look identical, 55 West has character, texture and personality in abundance. It really raises the bar for affordable housing everywhere and just shows that it can be accessible and aspirational all at the same time, with no compromise. If considered design like this is viable in London on a fully affordable scheme, there’s no excuse for any developer to create mundane and uninspirational architecture anywhere in the country.” Horizontal and vertical banding was used in the design to create a layered and distinctive, elegant form while a robust pallet of three brick shades articulate different elements within the façade, including a darker brick ‘shadow gap’ to separate the tower and shoulder buildings. Both winter gardens and balconies were placed on the extremities of the floorplates to reduce the building’s silhouette and make the most of the views across London. The scheme also benefits from large rooftop amenity and various carbon reducing initiatives, exceeding GLA requirements. Work is expected to start on site in early 2022. For further information about DMWR Architects please visit https://www.dmwr.co.uk
Enfield Council and Vistry Partnerships have completed a development agreement which will see at least 250 affordable homes built on the next phase of the borough’s transformational Meridian Water programme. The development agreement which was signed on Wednesday 20th October will mean all the homes on the site of the development – known as Meridian Two, will be affordable with half offered at London Affordable Rent and the other half offering shared ownership and homes at London Living Rent levels. The scheme will also provide 3,000 square metres of commercial space which the Council hopes will become a hub for creative industries. An operator will be appointed to manage the space in the near future. The Leader of Enfield Council, Cllr Nesil Caliskan, said: “This is great news for Enfield and its residents, we are forging ahead with Meridian Water and making rapid progress to provide a range of housing for local residents. “Meridian Two is important because every home will be genuinely affordable homes for Edmonton residents and those across the borough. “The site is adjacent to the area that is intended to become a new park at Meridian Water. This will be a fantastic feature alongside the new homes. I am looking forward to seeing the construction progress quickly and to residents moving in.” Meridian Two is on Leeside Road, next to Pymmes Brook and adjacent to the next phases of Meridian Water, which includes up to 2,300 homes and extensive parkland. With this being the second Development Agreement entered into on Meridian Water, the project now has 1,200 homes under contract to be delivered. Vistry Partnerships were selected as the preferred bidder last year following a competitive process through the Greater London Authority’s London Development Panel 2. The GLA is also providing grant funding to enable the scheme to be taken forward. On completion of the homes by Vistry Partnerships, the properties will be acquired by Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing, a Registered Provider who will own and manage them. Subject to a detailed Reserved Matters Application being approved, work on building the first homes is expected to start in the middle of 2022 with the first dwellings and workspace expected to be completed in 2024.
‘Addition’ was established to create and sell high quality, sustainable homes in Lambeth which, in turn, will provide funding for more affordable homes in Lambeth. Beam is launched as the second residential development to be unveiled by Addition. Beam is part of Homes for Lambeth’s small sites programme and is located on the brownfield former Patmos Lodge site, near Kennington Park and Myatt’s Fields Park. Beam offers one and two bedroom apartments: there are 18 homes available for outright sale, plus a further six apartments available through Shared Ownership. Addition creates homes of high quality design, with materials, architectural styles, features and landscaping chosen to enhance the living experience of the homeowners while improving the surrounding area. Sustainability and future-proofing are at the heart of the scheme design, to meet Lambeth’s high environmental and energy standards and the council’s net-zero carbon targets. Jitinder Takhar, Chief Executive Officer for Homes for Lambeth says: “Our purpose is to provide high quality new homes that are greener and more environmentally sustainable. For every three homes that we sell through Addition, we will be able to provide two homes at affordable levels for families in our local community.” Stockwool, the architecture and urbanism practice with a strong track record in urban regeneration projects, has designed Beam’s four-storey apartment buildings to blend in with the variety of architectural styles and scales that surround them, using a simple palette of materials and buff-coloured brick facades. Beam has been designed as an energy efficient, sustainable scheme including a fabric first approach, air source heat pumps, solar panels, water and waste reduction measures and ecological enhancements, targeting 78.3% reduction in Regulated C02 emissions over Part L 2013. Landscaped communal gardens are the heart of Beam and offer a woodland garden, grass lawn, naturalistic planting and quiet seating areas for residents to enjoy. Cycle storage is also provided in cycle lockers with green planted roofs. The interiors are light-filled and well-proportioned, with floor to ceiling glazing in the living rooms and open-plan living, dining and kitchen spaces. There are high quality fixtures and fittings throughout including underfloor heating and contemporary designer kitchens with stone worktops and Siemens appliances. Many of the apartments offer south-facing or dual aspect views to the outside and each apartment has a private balcony or terrace. Beam will be completed in the Spring of 2023. Beam’s completion will follow on from the first development being built, ‘Chapter by Addition’, which is scheduled to complete in Autumn 2022. Located on Hydethorpe Road, in Balham, Chapter will offer 12 apartments, comprising one and two-bedroom homes and a standout three-bedroom penthouse. Eight of the 12 apartments will be available to buy outright with four available to buy through Shared Ownership.
A showhome is set to be unveiled this month at a new development on a former school site in Forest Hill. Bellway London Partnerships will be opening the doors to a showhome at Dacres Wood Court – a 59-apartment development on the former home of Our Lady and St Philip Neri Infant School – on Saturday 6 November. The homes, off Mayow Road, will be one, two and three-bedroom apartments, 20 of which will be provided as affordable housing for local people through rent or shared ownership. “Viewing the showhome at Dacres Wood Court will provide the perfect opportunity for buyers to visualise what it would be like to live in one of these brand-new apartments. This will be the first time visitors have the chance to look inside a completed home and we expect there to be a lot of interest in doing so. Sales are already going well and we anticipate that high level of demand to continue. The showhome, which is the first property to be completed on site, is a perfect example of the quality apartments on offer at Dacres Wood Court,” said Amie Triphook-Cole, Head of Sales for Bellway London Partnerships. The show apartment features an open plan living space off an entrance hall, with two bedrooms – one of which includes a suggested home-working zone, and a family bathroom. “The open-plan kitchen has integrated appliances and flows seamlessly into the dining and living area, which leads onto a terrace. All apartments will have a private outdoor space, giving buyers the option to work outside if the weather is kind or just to enjoy relaxing in the fresh air. All the homes within this development are below the London Help to Buy price cap and are proving to be extremely popular with first time-buyers. Work continues to progress well and we hope to see our first completions later this year, when we’ll welcome the first residents onto the development,” added Amie. London Help to Buy enables first-time buyers to secure a new-build home in the capital with a five per cent deposit and a 55 per cent mortgage. The remaining 40 per cent is provided in the form of a Government-backed equity loan, which is interest free for the first five years. The scheme, which runs until 2023, is now only available to first-time buyers and on homes under the regional price cap – which for London is £600,000. There are one, two and three-bedroom apartments currently on sale at Dacres Wood Court, with prices starting from £354,495.
Selling the old to move onto the new can feel like a painfully long task, but what if there was a way to speed this up? Research suggests the average UK home selling times take 4.2 months on average from first day of marketing to legal completion. When you’re looking to start a new chapter of your life, you can make the process quicker and add more property value with these fixes. Look after the details Make sure that any cracks are fixed in window frames or walls. Cracks in walls can knock £9.49k off your home, while no double glazing knocks off £9.14k. Fixing this is often simple, so before you call in professional help, check the cracks in your wall to see if it’s something you can mend yourself. If the cracks are less than 5mm, then you can use filler to sort them out and get your walls looking great again. Property value added: £18.63k Introduce popular trends Keeping your décor up to date can add up to £8.85k to your property, so having a home that brings visitors a sense of joy will massively benefit the sales process. Ways to do this are simply by introducing modern trends that are universally liked. One way to do this is going for Scandi-inspired style; neutral colours, house plants full of life, and occasional moments of colour around the property that create a homely feeling which visitors will love. It’s an environment where people can easily picture their own design choices. If you want to go one step further, then try dried flowers – a bold yet minimalist interior design trend that brings a feeling of edge and character to a living environment without it feeling too over the top. Property value added: £8.85k Look after your garden Over lockdown, the demand for outdoor space has gone up significantly. In fact, 64% of UK residents say they wouldn’t buy a home if it didn’t have outside space. While this isn’t a dealbreaker, if you do have an outdoor space, look after it; it could be the difference in securing the deal or losing it. 30% of UK residents also said that when looking to buy a home, they place more value in the garden than the inside space. Lockdown brought out the nation’s inner gardeners with 39% getting more into gardening over the past year, so having a space where they can plan a new project is going to be important, and one factor that could make buyers favour your property over others. Property value added: Up to 5% of property value Cleanliness is key It’s obvious, but a clean house is always going to be preferred to a messy one. With 43% of UK residents saying they would only arrange a viewing for a clean property, a messy home will be detrimental to the sales process. 61% of UK residents also said that they would put in a lower offer on a property if it wasn’t clean when they viewed it, so keeping tidy is an absolute must. Look at your property with a critical eye; what could visitors be put off by? Mess and clutter can knock £9.29k off a property, so the cost of fixing this is inherently worth more than leaving it to new occupants. Property value added: £9.29k Paint for profit Scuffed paintwork and marked walls can take £9.25k off a property, so don’t hesitate to give the walls a fresh lick of paint. Stick to neutral colours such as white, light grey, and natural wood, which are the most popular three colours that attracted buyers. However, going dark with your paint choice can prove to be detrimental. A comparatively small 8% of buyers were attracted by light blue and black, while 5% were attracted by light brown and dark blue, so keep it light and neutral. Property value added: £9.25k In total, you can add a huge £46k to your property value by following these simple tips. Getting a home sold quickly is many sellers’ dreams, so take the opportunity to make some extra cash while you’re doing it. The steps are simple, but too often overlooked.
New housing block to be named after Keith Shaw, an early arrival from the Caribbean who helped establish Metropolitan housing and was a long-standing local resident KeithShaw House will include 50 affordable homes, part of the massive Clapham Park regeneration scheme, which MTVH has been delivering since 2008 Local dignitaries participated in a ceremony marking completion of the building’s structure At a ceremony earlier today, it was announced that a newly completed housing block at the heart of the Clapham Park regeneration scheme will be named after Keith Shaw, who arrived in South London from the Caribbean in the 1950s and spearheaded quality, affordable housing for the community. He helped establish the housing association which would become MTVH (Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing) and was one of its longest-standing residents. At today’s ‘topping out’ ceremony, which marked the completion of the building’s external structure, Shaw’s daughter Sharon Shaw was on hand to help Cllr Ed Davie of Lambeth Council (Thornton Ward), Guy Palmer (Director of Regeneration, MTVH) and Bill Bassenger (Joint Managing Director, Kind & Company) lay the final section of the main structure of what will eventually become KeithShaw House (See “Notes to Editors” on spelling). MTVH is one of the UK’s largest housing associations, providing affordable homes, and care and support services. MTVH is responsible for the overall Clapham Park regeneration scheme. Kind & Company is delivering the construction of KeithShaw House and also built one of the scheme’s earlier blocks at Forster Road. It was decided to name the building after Keith Shaw following a call for local people to submit names of residents with local significance. Keith arrived in the UK in the 1950s to join his mother who had settled in Brixton. He helped Molly Huggins, wife of the Governor of Jamaica, who was troubled by the poor state of housing for the country’s new arrivals, to establish the Metropolitan Coloured People’s Housing Association – later to become Metropolitan (a forerunner of MTVH) – to provide quality, affordable accommodation for London’s Caribbean community. Keith was a resident of the housing association for more than 50 years until his death in 2018. Similarly, KeithShaw House will stand on Donna Mews, named after Donna C Henry MBE. Donna headed a group of residents who drew the attention of Lambeth Council to the social, economic and housing problems of the Clapham Park estate in the late 1990s. She campaigned for the neighbourhood to receive New Deal for Communities status, setting in motion change that developed into the regeneration work that is ongoing today. She diligently chaired the Clapham Park Project for fifteen years until her death in 2020. Sharon Shaw, daughter of Keith Shaw said: “It is wonderful to know that my dad’s name will live on in this way and that the housing association he was so influential in establishing is continuing to make such a positive impact on the local community. This new block will be a great tribute to his work and his commitment to ensuring that everyone has access to quality and comfortable housing. He would have been so thrilled to know that the people in the community which he was so proud to be a part of, will have a wonderful new home bearing his name.” Geeta Nanda OBE, Chief Executive of MTVH said: “This is another important milestone as we continue to regenerate Clapham Park, by building new homes, improving the local environment and providing new opportunities for everyone in the area. As such, we are delighted to honour the memory of Keith Shaw, by naming this building after him. Keith was a real pillar of the local community and an important figure in the history of MTVH. As we mark Black History Month, today’s ceremony is a timely reminder of the huge contribution that pioneers such as Keith and the entire Windrush generation have made to our society.” Bill Bassenger, Joint Managing Director of Kind & Company said: “We are delighted to welcome everyone to this ‘topping out ceremony’, as we move into the next phase of delivery for this scheme. It is lovely to hear the story behind the naming of this block, I am sure Keith would have been delighted and his family must be very proud of the legacy this building will bring – as a former long-term resident, and someone who clearly played an important role in the formation of this housing association, it is a great tribute. “This is the second scheme we will be delivering within Clapham Park for our client, with our last project completing in 2017. We were delighted to have been selected to return to the estate to contribute towards MTVH’s 15-year programme to provide quality new homes for its residents’’. Cllr Ed Davie of Lambeth Council (Thornton Ward) said: “Lambeth Council is very pleased to be supporting this development and we are delighted that local social housing tenants currently living in older, poorer quality housing will soon be able to move into KeithShaw House and other high-quality accommodation. We are also working hard to ensure that local residents benefit from the jobs, training and apprenticeship opportunities that this development brings. Clapham Park regeneration is renewing and creating community facilities including a nursery, a children’s centre, schools, parks, shops and the Cube community centre.” Scheduled for completion by October 2023, KeithShaw House will include 50 homes, comprising 41 apartments and nine houses for affordable rent. Residents of Keith Shaw House will be existing Clapham Park tenants, providing a significant upgrade in accommodation and quality of life. On completion, Clapham Park, which spans 36 hectares and is nestled between three local centres, Clapham, Brixton and Streatham Hill, will have a total of over 4,000 homes, plus new community spaces and green areas for the benefit of the entire community.
