Platform Housing Group has completed the acquisition of its largest land-led deal to date following the exchange of contracts for a site in Gloucestershire. The development will deliver around 270 new homes and is the seventh phase of the overall Perybrook development that has an outline consent for 1,500 homes.
What’s happening with the prime London rental market? Rob Pratt, Director of Lettings at central London estate agency Bective’s Notting Hill Branch, has shared his thoughts on the current prime rental landscape and what we can expect to see going forward. Rob Pratt – Lettings Director, Bective Notting Hill –
Bakewell’s local war hero Colonel Leslie Wright was honoured at a housing development named after the great man. Diginitaries gathered at the site on Shutts Lane to hear local pupils from Lady Manners School tell the story of the Colonel before a stone marking the opening was unveiled. They were
A topping-out ceremony to mark the completion of the external structure at Amber House, a new development of affordable homes in Bracknell took place on Tuesday 30th November. Councillor Dale Birch, Deputy Leader of Bracknell Forest Council joined senior members of Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing (MTVH), The Hill Group and
Storey Homes unveils three stunning show homes at its new development, Bidwell Mews, in Houghton Regis, near the market town of Dunstable. Now open for viewings they showcase the uniquely affordable family homes available to buy within this new vibrant settlement. The Mackintosh (5-bedrooms), The Mountford (4-bedrooms) and The Adams
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
Platform Housing Group has completed the acquisition of its largest land-led deal to date following the exchange of contracts for a site in Gloucestershire. The development will deliver around 270 new homes and is the seventh phase of the overall Perybrook development that has an outline consent for 1,500 homes. The proposed scheme will feature a range of tenures for customers including rent, affordable home ownership and outright sale. Platform’s Executive Director of Growth and Development Gerraint Oakley said, “This is our first significant land acquisition of this size and highlights our ambition to develop a sustainable land pipeline as we work towards our target of providing 2,000 homes a year.” “Providing affordable homes in this way gives our customers even greater piece of mind about the product we’ll deliver. I’d like to thank all our partners that have worked so hard to get us to this point and I look forward to continuing those relationships when we start on site.” The group worked alongside agents Carter Jonas and Bruton Knowles who acted for the sellers, as well as key consultant team Shakespeare Martineau, plus Clarkebond, Pad Design, Fellows Construction Consultants, Ridge & Partners LLP and Utilities Connection Management Ltd. Michael Baggett, Regional Head of Land said, “This is an extremely exciting time for the Group, we are looking forward to progressing the planning for this site and providing much needed new homes to the area. In addition to our project team, I would also like to thank the Housing Strategy and Enabling Team at Tewkesbury Borough Council and Bryn Howells in particular, for the advice and support given on this site to date. We are actively seeking further land opportunities of similar size and nature in Gloucestershire and across Central England, with or without planning permission.” The group are anticipating a reserve matters submission in early 2022 with an estimated start on site later in the same year.
What’s happening with the prime London rental market? Rob Pratt, Director of Lettings at central London estate agency Bective’s Notting Hill Branch, has shared his thoughts on the current prime rental landscape and what we can expect to see going forward. Rob Pratt – Lettings Director, Bective Notting Hill – has worked in Prime Central Lettings for over 10 years and has intricate knowledge of the market in W11, W2 and W14. He is passionate about building long-lasting relationships and prides himself on offering the best possible customer service, whilst delivering excellent results for clients. Pandemic Impact What we saw last year across much of the prime market was like-for-like activity when compared to 2019. Whilst we did endure six weeks of lockdown restrictions, a handful of essential moves were able to take place and the rest of 2020 performed relatively well considering the disruption, making up for the lower volume of transactions during the six weeks of lockdown. It’s fair to say that actually, the pandemic impact on the prime rental market in 2020 was fairly muted both in terms of the number of rental applicants and the level of stock reaching the market. However, particular price brackets that normally perform very well, underperformed; house sharers were bailing on the market with jobs being furloughed, meaning the two-bed circa £450 per week apartments suffered. Studio flats fell out of fashion with not many people interested in being locked down in small spaces. The best performers were the houses, scarcely coming onto the market and being snapped up pretty quickly when they did. The first half of 2021 was a little more sluggish with the balance between supply and demand weighting slightly more towards oversupply. While domestic applicant numbers were reasonable, travel restrictions continued to prove problematic for foreign renters. Nevertheless, this did improve on a monthly basis throughout the year. The pandemic was always going to interfere with market activity and the immediate impact was predictably a drop in applicant levels. By late summer last year the lettings market had improved but still wasn’t operating at pre-pandemic levels. Even in spring this year the market had been challenging to navigate creating a mixed picture with pricing. Who is pushing the market forward? Over the last quarter (Sept-Dec 21), the market has undoubtedly returned to pre-pandemic levels. There has been a dramatic increase in enquiry levels from those relocating from abroad which has had a positive impact on pricing. Of course, the latest development of the Omicron variant is expected to dampen this in the short term, though in spite of this we’re now seeing supply squeezed to the point of stock scarcity. So much so that there is little to offer those already committing to the market. It’s a certainty that international movers will continue to be the deciding factor behind the rental market health in prime London and the virus has only reaffirmed that they are essential for the performance of the market. Throughout autumn 21, we saw an influx of American families looking to secure rental homes ahead of the school year. There was a limited level of high-end housing available and many of these families were securing properties after only just seeing it on a video. That’s not to say they are the only ones influencing the market. Domestic movers from outside of London have made a return, there’s a returning degree of student demand and there has also been activity from those already in the area looking to upsize or downsize. What’s more, heavy flooding throughout autumn has left the Notting Hill and Kensington areas suffering heavily, particularly the lower ground flats. This has resulted in an even higher number of applicants as insurance companies scrambled to secure temporary homes for them. Biggest challenges facing the market? We definitely don’t want another pandemic and we are hoping/anticipating that this latest variant doesn’t cause the nation to move backwards rather than forwards. However, as we all know unforeseen events can upset the stability of the rental market at any point and Covid will no doubt be a lingering consideration for some time to come. The more immediate issues facing the market are inadequate stock levels. Looking ahead, we have to wonder what the solution is if more tenants are choosing long term renting as a lifestyle whilst buy-to-let stock is dwindling. Is buy-to-let now out of fashion because yields are lower and long term landlords have felt the government have failed to support them? With the introduction of the tenant fee ban, changes to stamp duty and tax thresholds for buy-to-let purchases, is the appetite for buy-to-let no longer there? Build-to-Rent is becoming more popular and it may fill the gaps but space for such developments is limited within the prime market. Rental Hotspots in 2022 There have been huge infrastructure investments made across London with Nine Elms being the largest regeneration zone in Central London at 227 hectares. Fulham’s Imperial Wharf is the last section to be redeveloped within the South Fulham Riverside Regeneration Area which spans over 40 hectares and more than £4bn is being invested into the regeneration of Elephant & Castle creating and reinstating over 5,000 homes in the area. Modern-day tenants are looking for more than just an apartment, with new build homes offering on-site amenities, resident’s facilities and even close proximity to workplaces. Apple’s new campus at Battersea Power station will become home to 1,400 corporate employees in its half a million sqft. office space, making it inevitable that a vast number of these workers will settle in the Nine Elms area. The Tech industry in London is flourishing in other areas too, Hackney and Shoreditch are going to continue being major beneficiaries of this in my opinion. The Tech industry is only set to grow over the coming years with the likes of Meta’s digital world, which is likely to lead more tenants flocking to the areas that surround their workplaces, either relocating from abroad, outside of London
Bakewell’s local war hero Colonel Leslie Wright was honoured at a housing development named after the great man. Diginitaries gathered at the site on Shutts Lane to hear local pupils from Lady Manners School tell the story of the Colonel before a stone marking the opening was unveiled. They were joined by members of Derbyshire Dales District Council and staff from Lindum Construction as well as other involved parties for the event. “We are very proud to deliver the first affordable housing in the beautiful Peak National Park for 10 years, especially as it is an area of the country where house prices and affordability are particularly volatile. This scheme not only brings new affordable homes for local people, it has benefited the local community and local economy. We feel this development is a real achievement for all concerned,” said Elizabeth Froude, Group Chief Executive of Platform Housing group. Colonel Leslie Wright Close is made up of 30 homes built for Platform Housing Group in a project that took almost a decade to come to fruition. Meticulous planning ensured the homes were built to maintain the look of the area, using stone from the local Dale View quarry at Stanton Moor. The land was originally bought from Lady Manners school, who used the funds to build their 3G sports pitch which is now enjoyed by the school and wider community. “This project has been 13 years in the making and in pushing for the scheme from the start we recognised an overwhelming need for these homes. All partners have worked extremely hard to secure high quality affordable homes for local people who have a link to Bakewell,” said the Leader of DDDC, Councillor Garry Purdy, who was also in attendance. “The District Council carried out two housing need surveys in Bakewell that underlined the need for this development. We allocated £500,000 capital funding to help make these homes happen in the National Park and I would suggest that this scheme is arguably the single most important affordable housing scheme in the District Council’s housing programme in recent times. “We had never before allocated £500,000 to an affordable housing scheme and every penny came from Right To Buy proceeds from our former council housing stock, demonstrating how Right To Buy receipts are being used to replace homes lost across the Derbyshire Dales in the National Park.”
A topping-out ceremony to mark the completion of the external structure at Amber House, a new development of affordable homes in Bracknell took place on Tuesday 30th November. Councillor Dale Birch, Deputy Leader of Bracknell Forest Council joined senior members of Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing (MTVH), The Hill Group and Councillors Thomas Parker and Dee Hamilton to celebrate this important construction milestone. “The regeneration of Bracknell town centre is about more than just great shops it includes the provision of much needed new homes. This exciting new chapter will serve to enhance our vibrant community and provide more housing options for local people. I am really thrilled to be here today to see the impressive progress happening on a site which will deliver so many fully affordable new homes for the people of Bracknell Forest,” said Councillor Dale Birch at the ceremony. Located in the centre of Bracknell, the new scheme forms part of the wider £240m regeneration that is taking place in the town centre. Amber House will comprise a mixed-use scheme consisting of 193 high-specification affordable homes set across the development, alongside 350 m2 of additional commercial space and a boulevard of communal amenities including shops, restaurants and leisure facilities on the ground floor. “We are delighted to meet another important milestone in this project and partner with Bracknell Forest Council and The Hill Group on the regeneration of Bracknell town centre. The combination of much needed new homes as well as shopping, community, social and leisure facilities will improve the quality of life for residents. It will also lead to greater opportunities for work and benefit the entire local community. MTVH is excited to help this redevelopment continue to go from strength to strength,” added Geeta Nanda OBE, Chief Executive of MTVH. Previously occupied by two office buildings Amber House and Northgate House, MTVH acquired the site to provide a 100% ‘affordable housing’ scheme where Hill Group will be delivering 74 one- bedroom and 119 two-bedroom apartments, which will be available through Shared Ownership and Social Rent in Summer 2023. “We are pleased with the progress on the development of Amber House and are delighted to be working with MTVH and Bracknell Forest Council on this landmark scheme which will provide much needed affordable new homes and amenities for this new neighbourhood,” commented Ryan Harris, Regional Director at Hill.
Storey Homes unveils three stunning show homes at its new development, Bidwell Mews, in Houghton Regis, near the market town of Dunstable. Now open for viewings they showcase the uniquely affordable family homes available to buy within this new vibrant settlement. The Mackintosh (5-bedrooms), The Mountford (4-bedrooms) and The Adams (3-bedooms) have all been styled to enhance family time. With homes available with Help to Buy, Storey Homes is also offering Stamp Duty paid incentives, on selected plots, presenting buyers with an opportunity to own a high-quality, spacious home in Bedfordshire’s verdant countryside. In keeping with the scenic backdrop, homes at Bidwell Mews are surrounded with generous green spaces that run through the development. Impressive room sizes, sleek German kitchens and generous outside space with plenty of breathing room between each property create an outstanding environment for new home buyers. The Mackintosh (from £599,950) A substantial, 5-bedroom, executive home featuring an impressive floorplan, this detached property, styled by Interiors by Haus, enjoys a vast entrance hall, which has been dressed with a console table for an elegant look. The large kitchen/dining room is perfect for entertaining, with French doors that open out to the rear garden and oversized windows letting in streams of light. A large solid dark wood dining table and soft grey upholstered chairs create an opulent space for entertaining in the separate dining room. Brass accents running through this room and a sideboard and pendant give the space an added touch of grandeur. The spacious lounge holds two bespoke light sofas dressed with colourful, textured cushions and contrasting black furniture. Upstairs, four double bedrooms, two with en-suites, a fifth bedroom and a family bathroom make this the ultimate family home. A super-king bed with a tall winged headboard in the main bedroom has been combined with gold accents running through the furniture and accessories to create a luxury feel. The remaining bedrooms have been designed with personal touches for children and opulent finishes for ultimate guest room comfort. Highlighting the multifunctional rooms, bedroom-five features striking black geometric wallpaper, a black metal and charcoal coloured desk with a teal upholstered chair for a stylish study space. The Mountford (from £534,950) A fabulous four-bedroom detached house with spacious entrance hall featuring a central staircase, the Mountford is an impressive family home. The double fronted property features beautiful bay windows and comprises a large kitchen/breakfast room, utility room and three reception rooms. With several possible options for a home office on the ground floor; upstairs, four double bedrooms, an en-suite to bedroom one and a family bathroom complete this elegant home. Designed by JSP Interiors to express comfort, a neutral colour pallet is enhanced with warm tones and textures in each room, promoting a sense of calm for all the family. The Adams (starting from £364,950) Abode Interiors, commissioned to style this three-bedroom home, focused on creating a warm environment for a couple looking to start a family, but still commuting to central London for work. Another ideal family home, The Adams features a kitchen/dining room, separate living room with French doors opening onto the rear garden, two double bedrooms including an en-suite and fitted wardrobe to bedroom one and a versatile third-bedroom.
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
