New research has revealed the London boroughs where buy-to-let landlords currently looking to invest can generate the best returns. Drawing on the latest house price and private rental data, property analysts at SBA Property Management have identified Tower Hamlets as the highest-yielding borough for rental returns. With average property values
The regeneration masterplan for the Grey Mare Lane estate has been met with broad approval from the east Manchester community a new report going to the Council executive committee (Weds 11 September) has concluded. The Council-built estate is more than 50years old and represents a key regeneration location as part
The John Lewis Partnership (JLP) has submitted plans to transform a former distribution warehouse in Reading into rental housing. The proposals were submitted to Reading Borough Council. JLP’s proposed regeneration of the site will see more than £80 million invested to create 215 high-quality and energy-efficient homes, as well as
The latest market insight from London’s largest lettings and sales estate agent brand*, Foxtons, has revealed that London’s much loved parks are attracting house price premiums of 53% compared to the wider market average, with Green Park home to the highest premium of the lot. Foxtons analysed current market data looking
Plymouth City Council is leading a new housing project on the outskirts of the city, where 500 modern, energy-efficient homes will be built on land off Stoggy Lane in Plympton, including 150 affordable units. Also in the plans is new wetland greenspace, up to 2,000 new trees and a financial
Five more projects have been awarded over £57 million from the Government’s Green Heat Network Fund (GHNF). These projects, integral to comprehensive urban renewal plans, will provide sustainable, low carbon heat to 17,000 new homes, commercial spaces, and public buildings, contributing to vibrant, future-proofed communities. Expected to save over 385,000
Liverpool City Council is set to seek a development partner to help transform a prime waterfront spot into Liverpool’s newest residential community. A report to Cabinet on Tuesday, 10 September, is recommending the Council embarks on a competitive procurement exercise to appoint a high calibre development partner to lead on
Downsizers are helping to ease the housing crisis by putting an average of 343,000 bedrooms a year back onto the UK housing market, according to new data analysis from over-50’s property specialists, Quickmove Properties, Quickmove Properties has estimated how many property sales downsizers accounted for in the UK in 2023* and,
The planning submission for Phase Two of the re-development of the Tustin Estate in south-east London has been submitted. Planned in four phases, the whole scheme includes 250 replacement council homes and shared equity properties for returning leaseholders, 220 additional council homes for social rent and keyworker homes, along with
The City of Edinburgh Council marked the start of construction on a new affordable housing development with a ceremonial sod-cutting event on Thursday (15 August). Council Leader Cammy Day was joined by Fraser Lynes, Managing Director of Cruden and architects Smith Scott Mullan as work got underway on the development
New research has revealed the London boroughs where buy-to-let landlords currently looking to invest can generate the best returns. Drawing on the latest house price and private rental data, property analysts at SBA Property Management have identified Tower Hamlets as the highest-yielding borough for rental returns. With average property values of £456,375 and monthly rental costs of £2,244, the inner London borough offers buy-to-let investors yields of 5.9% — significantly higher than the London average at 4.81%. Another area for investors to target is Southwark, which has average house prices of £476,177 and private rents of £2,219, yielding returns of 5.59%. Other opportunity areas identified by SBA Property Management are Newham, Barking & Dagenham and Greenwich, offering average rental yields of 5.23%, 5.06% and 4.96% respectively. The news comes shortly after interest rates were cut by the Bank of England for the first time since March 2020, setting the stage for mortgage costs to fall over the coming months. With further cuts forecast in 2025, property investors will be in an even stronger position to buy. Habib Mogul, Director at SBA Property Management, commented: “After several years of uncertainty, London’s property market is again shaping up to be one of the UK’s most attractive investment opportunities. Falling mortgage costs and stable property prices combined with high demand for rental accommodation means buy-to-let property in particular offers great potential for returns. “Historically, large deposits and borrowing costs have been a barrier for buy-to-let landlords looking to invest in the capital. However, our research shows that many of the highest-yielding areas are those with the lowest property prices, reducing the initial investment needed to secure a piece of London’s lucrative property market.” Average house prices in the five boroughs identified by SBA Property Management are below the London average, with Barking & Dagenham and Newham being two of the three most affordable boroughs for property investors. In Barking & Dagenham – the London borough with the cheapest house prices – buy-to-let landlords would only need £51,060 for a typical 15% deposit to start earning above-average returns on their investment. Tim Darwall-Smith, Director at SBA Property Management, said: “In recent years, we’ve seen London’s property market buck the trend of rising house prices seen across the rest of the country. At the same time, rental costs in the capital have surged, putting buy-to-let landlords in an advantageous position. “The easing of mortgage costs brings more relief to buy-to-let landlords, freeing up resources to make value-boosting renovations and deliver a better tenant experience. Ultimately, the investors with well-managed properties will be best placed to benefit from London’s highly profitable rental market.” To find out more about SBA Property Management’s services, visit: https://sbaproperty.com/. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The regeneration masterplan for the Grey Mare Lane estate has been met with broad approval from the east Manchester community a new report going to the Council executive committee (Weds 11 September) has concluded. The Council-built estate is more than 50years old and represents a key regeneration location as part of the ongoing transformation of east Manchester. (See notes to editors) An 8-week consultation started in May this year and gathered feedback from local people via both online submissions and an in-person engagement event held in the estate. A community steering group made up of residents, elected members and Council officers also meet regularly to discuss and input into the planning process for the estate investment. The masterplan is a high-level overview of the regeneration opportunities within the estate, which envisages a highly sustainable investment programme that will deliver at least 1,000 new homes – including a significant number of affordable homes and new green spaces. Feedback from local residents included: This feedback will be included in the final masterplan document for the estate, which will help guide investment in the area in the years to come. Future investment in the Grey Mare Lane estate will include: Architect BDP have delivered the masterplan on behalf of the Grey Mare Lane partnership. First Development sites – update Concurrently with the masterplan consultation, Great Places Housing Group undertook targeted engagement around their development site at the corner of Grey Mare Lane and Ashton New Road. The proposed scheme will deliver a block of 69 apartments for social rent providing a landmark gateway development into the Masterplan area. A planning application for this site is expected to be submitted in the Autumn. At the same time, One Manchester is continuing to prepare their development sites and demolitions are ongoing to enable future development. Any affected residents have been part of this conversation for some time and we have made a commitment that anyone who has had to move to allow the regeneration of the estate will have the right to return to the estate if they want to. Cllr Gavin White, Manchester City Council’s executive member for housing and development, said: “The feedback we receive directly from local people – both through the consultation and the community steering group – is quite often the most impactful. Knowing what a neighbourhood needs is best explained by the very people who live and use the area every day. “Through this investment we will see at least 1,000 new homes – including lots of affordable homes – a new heart and focal point of the estate with new shops and community facilities, and lots more green and play spaces. “Thank you to everyone who took part – your feedback will help guide future development proposals for the Grey Mare Lane estate, and we’re looking forward to the first planning applications being submitted late this year.” Helen Spencer, Executive Director of Growth at Great Places, said: “We’re delighted to see the community’s positive response to the Grey Mare Lane estate regeneration plans. The project is a great opportunity to provide much-needed affordable housing in the area and vibrant green spaces, enhancing residents’ quality of life. “The feedback will provide invaluable input to ensure our planned developments meet the community’s needs, and we look forward to continuing to work with Manchester City Council, One Manchester, and This City to bring this vision to life.” Barry Wears, Chief Financial Officer, One Manchester, said: “It’s great to see things moving forward for the community. As we prepare our development sites and carry out necessary demolitions to make improvements for the community, we’re committed to making sure any affected residents are part of the conversation. We’ve pledged that those who’ve had to move due to the works will have the right to return to the estate if they want to. Our ongoing collaboration with partners and keeping the community involved will make sure that the development will boost the area and support the needs of local residents.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The John Lewis Partnership (JLP) has submitted plans to transform a former distribution warehouse in Reading into rental housing. The proposals were submitted to Reading Borough Council. JLP’s proposed regeneration of the site will see more than £80 million invested to create 215 high-quality and energy-efficient homes, as well as 6,000 sq ft of internal amenity space, including space for community use, two new external garden spaces and improved public realm. Located next to the A329 and opposite the Oracle shopping centre in central Reading, the site benefits from close proximity to Reading Train Station, providing access to Central London in less than an hour. The homes will be purpose built for renters with shared areas for fitness, home-working and socialising, and will include a mix of one, two and three-bedroom homes to accommodate different sized households. Options for long-term tenancies with a recognised and trusted brand will be offered to provide residents with the opportunity to remain living there for as long as they wish. The homes will be highly sustainable, using high performance materials with renewable energy resources. Given its proximity to the town centre and local transport network, the development will be car-free with the exception of accessible spaces. New green spaces for the public, including children’s play, and a new space for local community groups has been included. The proposals have sought to establish new community partnerships that build on the work already being done by the existing local Waitrose and John Lewis shops. The scheme will provide 10% affordable homes at Reading Local Housing Allowance levels. Additionally, it is estimated to generate more than £1.9m million of new household spend per year, supporting local shops and services. JLP aims to prioritise residents already living and working in Reading, with the 2021 Census finding 48% of the population renting compared to an average of almost 38% across England, and population growth of 12% since 2011. Transforming a disused industrial site to create a thriving new rental community will help the town to retain talent and support residents who want to see better quality rented housing. The Reading proposals reinforce JLP’s ambition to create a rental housing brand that will manage homes designed specifically for rent in a bid to ease housing pressures and generate long-term, stable income to support investment back into our Waitrose and John Lewis brands. A core part of the strategy is renewing brownfield sites that have great transport connections, enabling people to travel to work quickly and sustainably. JLP recently received a resolution to grant planning consent to transform a Waitrose site in south London, next to Bromley South rail station, and is progressing another application in West Ealing five minutes from the local Crossrail station. Katherine Russell, Director of Build-To-Rent for the John Lewis Partnership, said: “We have worked closely with Reading Council’s planning officers, local residents and organisations to propose a scheme that will benefit residents and the wider community by transforming a disused industrial site into a thriving rental community. By revitalising brownfield land we have a fantastic opportunity to provide a significant number of homes which can help alleviate some of the growing pressure on Reading’s housing market. These will be homes not only developed by us, but managed by us, meaning we can offer quality service and a guarantee that homes will not be sold off, as so often happens in the rental market.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The latest market insight from London’s largest lettings and sales estate agent brand*, Foxtons, has revealed that London’s much loved parks are attracting house price premiums of 53% compared to the wider market average, with Green Park home to the highest premium of the lot. Foxtons analysed current market data looking at house prices in each of the postcodes straddling 13 of London’s biggest and best parks to reveal just how much a park adjacent property purchase will cost you in the capital*, before comparing this to the average price across the wider boroughs in which these postcodes are located to reveal what premiums a park house purchase commands in the current market. The research shows that, on average, purchasing a property close to one of London’s best parks will set you back £802,422 – that’s a premium of 53% when compared to the current average London house price of £523,134. In fact, all but two of the 13 parks analysed by Foxtons commanded a house price premium for those looking to purchase within walking distance of green space, with Green Park in Westminster topping the table. Straddled by the W1J and SW1A postcodes, the average price of a property surrounding Green Park comes in at £1.48m. While the wider borough of Westminster boasts an average house price of £954,279, this means that properties close to Green Park still command a premium of 55% in the current market. Battersea Park is home to the second highest park property premium across the capital, with the average price of a home across the SW11, SW3 and SW8 postcodes sitting at £927,098 – 50% higher than the wider borough of Wandsworth. Kensington Gardens is home to the third highest premium at 40% and with an average house price of £1.5m across its surrounding postcodes, it’s also home to the highest average house price of all 13 parks analysed by Foxtons. However, there are two London parks where surrounding property prices come in at a more affordable level versus the wider boroughs in which they are found. A property within the four postcodes surrounding Bushy Park in Richmond will cost you an average of £597,543 in the current market – -19% below the wider average of £737,024 for the borough of Richmond. The average price of a home in postcodes surrounding Crystal Palace park is also some -14% more affordable than the average found across the four boroughs it sits within. Foxtons CEO, Guy Gittins, commented: “London’s parks are an iconic part of the city’s landscape and they also provide vital green space for those who live and work within the city to relax and unwind, especially when the sun comes out. This is vital as it provides them with a place to get out of the house, exercise, meet with friends and family, or simply get some fresh air. All of which are important when it comes to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Of course, this makes them a desirable feature in the eyes of the capital’s buyers and, as a result, properties within close proximity to one of the capital’s best parks don’t come cheap. As our research shows, all but two of London’s best parks boast healthy house price premiums when compared to the wider boroughs in which they are found”. Sources and data tables *Foxtons is London’s No.1 estate agency brand based on TwentyCi data, 2023 v 2022 market share and market share growth of New Instructions at a brand level. *Foxtons is the UK’s fastest growing sales agent in the top 10 agents based on TwentyCi data of market share and market share growth of New Instructions at a brand level 2023 v 2022, growing by 28% year on year. Foxtons is the UK’s fastest growing lettings agent in the top 10 agents based on TwentyCi data of market share and market growth of New Instructions at a brand level 2023 v 2022, growing by over 35% year on year. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Plymouth City Council is leading a new housing project on the outskirts of the city, where 500 modern, energy-efficient homes will be built on land off Stoggy Lane in Plympton, including 150 affordable units. Also in the plans is new wetland greenspace, up to 2,000 new trees and a financial contribution towards a new sports hub at Boringdon. Councillor Chris Penberthy, Cabinet Member for Housing, Communities and Cooperative Development, will present the plans to his cabinet colleagues when they meet on Monday 9 September. In advance of the meeting, Chris said: “I’m pleased to be able to talk about this venture, which has been long in the planning. “Plymouth, like so many other cities in the UK, is in the midst of a national housing crisis and one of the obvious solutions to this is to build more houses. That’s exactly what we’re doing here. “The Stoggy Lane development is certainly ambitious, but we owe it to the hundreds of households on the housing waiting list to make big decisions like this and provide answers to the problems.” The land at Stoggy Lane, which is designated for housing in the Joint Local Plan, is currently unutilised farmland with no formal public access. It is owned by Plymouth City Council but falls within the boundary of South Hams District Council. Working with South Hams, Plymouth City Council has produced a master plan for the homes ready to apply for planning permission. Before that, though, a thorough public consultation on the scheme is expected to begin in September, featuring information sessions to allow residents to learn more and feedback on the plans. That data will then be fed into a final design before a final planning application is submitted in Spring 2025. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Five more projects have been awarded over £57 million from the Government’s Green Heat Network Fund (GHNF). These projects, integral to comprehensive urban renewal plans, will provide sustainable, low carbon heat to 17,000 new homes, commercial spaces, and public buildings, contributing to vibrant, future-proofed communities. Expected to save over 385,000 tonnes of CO2, these networks will help to ensure that urban developments lead the way in sustainable living[1]. This investment demonstrates the UK’s commitment to modernising its urban areas for resilience, sustainability and future regulations, whilst helping to deliver the Government’s mission of clean power by 2030 and accelerate plans towards net zero. Heat networks present a fantastic opportunity to expand access to low carbon heating and provide a cost-effective solution for decarbonising dense urban areas. The funding will also help new developments to meet mandated requirements under the Future Homes and Buildings Standard, as the Government seeks to improve the energy efficiency of new buildings. By using a range of innovative low carbon heat sources, these networks will ensure that new residents benefit from reduced heating bills and lower carbon footprints. Today, GHNF is providing over £57 million to support the commercialisation and construction of five heat network projects connecting to major developments: Minister for Energy Consumers, Miatta Fahnbulleh, said: “Building new, greener heat networks is just one of the ways we are investing in clean power, helping to finally secure our country’s energy independence. These exciting new projects will see thousands of homes and businesses benefit from cleaner, low-cost heating – leading to lower energy bills and creating hundreds of jobs.” Ken Hunnisett, Programme Director, said: “The Green Heat Network Fund, like the Heat Networks Investment Project before it, has helped to prove the technical and commercial efficacy of district heating in a variety of different use cases. The projects announced today are a reminder that modern heat networks are at their brilliant best in our large, densely built towns and cities. The £57 million investment announced today is great news for the Fund, great news for the 17,000 homes and buildings that will benefit from low-carbon, low-cost heating, great news for an industry that is growing almost before our eyes, and great news for the planet. It’s a relative drop in the ocean of course when you consider the £80 billion the sector is forecast to require if it is to fulfil its enormous potential.” Below is a summary of the projects each receiving a share of £57 million to support: Leeds South Bank (£24.5 million commercialisation and construction funding). Extending the highly successful LeedsPIPES project which received funding from HNIP to construct a heat network utilising waste heat from a Recycling and Energy Recovery facility, Leeds will receive a further £24.5 million for the South Bank extension. The original LeedsPIPES project connected over 1,900 homes and non-domestic buildings to the energy-from-waste (EfW) scheme, whilst helping to employ over 400 people. The South Bank extension is located in one of Europe’s largest brownfield regeneration sites. Funded by GHNF, the scheme will connect an additional 16km of pipework to the heat network for up to 8,000 new residents and mixed-use customers, across 28 buildings, representing the most significant investment to the project since its inception. The project will support an additional 81 new jobs across the heart network sector, and 16 apprenticeship positions. GHNF is also supporting the connection into two new low carbon EfW heat sources, providing a total of 30GWh of waste heat per year to both residential and non-domestic buildings across Leeds. John Lewis, Head of Building Engineering (UK and Ireland) at AECOM, said: “Heat networks will play a critical role in facilitating the UK hitting its 2050 net zero target, providing energy-efficient heat to support new and existing communities. With more and more local authorities developing heat networks, Leeds’ PIPES network and this latest extension into the South Bank area will continue to act as a flagbearer for how our cities can operate more sustainably. The city is ahead of the curve in developing a rapidly expanding heat network and we are delighted that this extension will not only supply low carbon heat to a host of new customers but will also further decarbonise the existing heat network and facilitate its growth. The AECOM team has been leading the technical design of this key infrastructure to support Leeds City Council’s ambition to transform and regenerate South Bank. We’re delighted our work will enable a resilient, low carbon energy platform for local communities.” Brent Cross (Over £14 million commercialisation and construction). Brent Cross Town is a major regeneration scheme in London providing 6,700 new homes, workspace for 25,000 people, a new high street, new buildings for three schools, extensive sport and leisure facilities, set alongside 50 acres of green space and supported by the recently opened Brent Cross West mainline station. GHNF is awarding £14 million of construction and commercialisation funding for Brent Cross Town’s heat network, supporting the project to become net zero carbon by 2030. Low carbon heat will be generated through a fully electric energy centre and supplied to all 6,700 residential properties, and commercial and leisure buildings. The network, enabled by GHNF funding, will meet the town’s demand of 30MW of heat and 20MW of cooling peak capacities. Alongside providing affordable low carbon heat, the project is expected to create 121 new long-term jobs whilst supporting a range of new apprentices. The scheme is being developed as a joint venture between Related Argent and Barnet Council. André Gibbs, Executive Director at Related Argent, said: “The Green Heat Network Fund allocated to Brent Cross Town will help make our ambition to achieve low carbon district heating across the whole of the development a reality. This will also include low carbon cooling to offices in the 25,000-workspace business and innovation district. When complete, Brent Cross Town will have one of the largest fully electric energy centres in Europe, developed in partnership with Vattenfall. This network points to the future of how the
Liverpool City Council is set to seek a development partner to help transform a prime waterfront spot into Liverpool’s newest residential community. A report to Cabinet on Tuesday, 10 September, is recommending the Council embarks on a competitive procurement exercise to appoint a high calibre development partner to lead on creating a new neighbourhood as part of the city’s famous International Festival Gardens site, which was originally opened in May 1984. The ambition is to significantly boost the city’s housing supply with a diverse range and mix of housing types, including affordable properties, together with local amenities, creating a thriving new community in this prime south Liverpool location, which is well connected and within 10-minutes of the city centre. The scheme, which is a flagship project outlined in the city’s draft housing strategy, will connect with and enhance its natural surroundings and biodiversity and provide a high standard of desirable and multi-generational living for all. Significant remediation and enabling works were recently completed in January 2024 to enable development, and since that time a team of experts have been curating an ambitious, and deliverable development brief which will provide an essential framework to market the site. Clear objectives are outlined which state the council’s intentions to make the 28-acre site a sustainable, healthy and inclusive neighbourhood which has a strong identity and high design quality. If the report is given the green light, the initial phase of the procurement process will begin in October, with a view to securing a partner towards the middle of next year. The development brief will form the central part of a procurement process, seeking viable expressions of interest from developers with a proven, successful track record in delivering transformative schemes at pace, which are built on strong community engagement. Montagu Evans will be running the procurement process on behalf of the Council. It is expected that the contract with the successful development partner will be finalised in Autumn 2025 once thorough due diligence has been undertaken. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Downsizers are helping to ease the housing crisis by putting an average of 343,000 bedrooms a year back onto the UK housing market, according to new data analysis from over-50’s property specialists, Quickmove Properties, Quickmove Properties has estimated how many property sales downsizers accounted for in the UK in 2023* and, using additional data collected in a recent downsizer survey commissioned by Quickmove Properties*, estimated exactly how many bedrooms this means downsizers relinquished last year. The data reveals that across the UK, 2023 saw a total of 718,127 home sales. It is estimated by Quickmove Properties that downsizers accounted for 32% of these 2023 transactions, which is equivalent to 229,621 sales. In a recent Quickmove Properties survey, 65.1% of downsizers say that they relinquished one bedroom while downsizing (eg, moved from a 4-bed to a 3-bed home); 24.7% relinquished two bedrooms; 7.4% relinquished three beds; four beds were given up by 1.4%; and the same percentage applies to downsizers who gave up five beds. By measuring these percentages against the total number of downsizer sales in 2023, it is estimated that downsizers put a total of 342,824 bedrooms back on the market in a single year, potentially making a huge contribution to providing young families and upsizers with the homes they need. In fact, the number of bedrooms that downsizers gave back to the market is sufficient to sleep the entire population of Wigan (339,174). On a regional level, South East downsizers put by far the most bedrooms back onto the market, totalling an estimated 52,993. This is followed by downsizers in the South West (36,754), East of England (35,213), North West (33,218), and Scotland (28,502). Sales Director at Quickmove Properties, Mark O’Dwyer, commented: “Downsizers play a huge part in the property ecosystem. The market needs older property owners to downsize their family homes – perhaps once their kids have fled the nest – so that these large properties can be made available for the young families who need them. This market churn keeps everything moving, and helps bring balance to the market. Whatsmore, the extra space that downsizers put back onto the market supports our battle to overcome the ever-present housing crisis. Of course, there needs to be suitable properties for downsizers to move into, such as the bungalow-style park homes for over 50’s offered by Quickmove in some stunning coastal, rural and semi-urban locations.” Data tables and sources Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The planning submission for Phase Two of the re-development of the Tustin Estate in south-east London has been submitted. Planned in four phases, the whole scheme includes 250 replacement council homes and shared equity properties for returning leaseholders, 220 additional council homes for social rent and keyworker homes, along with 220 homes for sale. In addition, it will feature a central park, refurbishment of existing council homes, at least 1,800 sqm of commercial floorspace and a replacement primary school. This latest phase delivers 295 homes at the east of the Estate. A mixture of maisonettes, and one, two and three-bedroom flats across four buildings provide 151 affordable homes and 144 private tenure homes. Taking inspiration from the history of the estate two of the buildings, flanking the Tustin Common park area, are proposed in green and light grey brick. For the others, a combination of red and pink brick referencing the industrial past of the area and defining the Ilderton Road character area. The team has continued to work closely with residents of the estate, to ensure the project remains resident-led and reflects the requirements set out within the Tustin Residents Manifesto. Following on from Phase One, it will continue renewing and upgrading the estate’s public spaces. The core objective for Phase Two is to produce a quality building design to complement Phase One and continue the creation of a vibrant community focused redevelopment, whilst ensuring an efficient buildable design. Since planning permission for the outline masterplan and Phase One was granted, Bouygues UK been appointed as Development Partners with Southwark Council and will be both contractor and developer for all phases. The dRMM-led design team, which includes architectural collaborators McCloy + Muchemwa, Landscape Architects Exterior Architecture, Structural Engineers Shockledge, and Sustainability Consultants XC02 have worked in close collaboration with the local community. The resultant vision for the estate retains and reinforces the existing green oasis and community spirit as part of the masterplan of 690 homes. Phillippa Prongué, Bouygues UK‘s Managing Director of London and the South East said, “The planning submission for Phase Two is a significant milestone in the redevelopment of the Tustin Estate, and we are excited to continue our close collaboration with Southwark Council and the local community to bring this ambitious scheme to life.” Victoria Hale, Senior Associate at dRMM said, “We’re delighted to have the opportunity to progress our work with Southwark, and the residents of the Tustin Estate, in developing the next phase of the masterplan. Phase 2 continues the transformation of the estate, delivering and managing good quality homes for all their residents.” The 167 homes which make up Phase One are currently on site, with completion expected next year, and the whole project is planned to complete in 2030. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The City of Edinburgh Council marked the start of construction on a new affordable housing development with a ceremonial sod-cutting event on Thursday (15 August). Council Leader Cammy Day was joined by Fraser Lynes, Managing Director of Cruden and architects Smith Scott Mullan as work got underway on the development of 143 energy efficient social and mid-market rent properties. In partnership with Cruden, the project will deliver a mix of one-, two-, and three-bedroom homes across the site, including wheelchair accessible accommodation. Work will include upgrades to greenspace and the main footpath linking Salveson Cresent and Marine Drive to create safer, easier access to the shorelines. Plans also include a new Pavilion for Craigroyston Community Football club. The development is part of the £1.3 billion Granton Waterfront regeneration which will create a new residential-led mixed-use community and will deliver around 3,500 net zero carbon homes, a primary school, a health centre, commercial and cultural space, and a new coastal park. Council Leader Cammy Day said: It was great to attend the sod-cutting ceremony at the Silverlea site today as we marked the beginning of construction on this exciting development here in Edinburgh. We’re facing a Housing Emergency so we must continue to build more affordable housing to address our chronic shortage. To deliver our net zero targets for the Capital, sustainable regeneration is so important, and every element of this development has been designed with that in mind. I’m delighted that plans also include a new Pavilion for Craigroyston Community Football Club which will be a real asset to the community. The project forms part of the wider £1.3bn regeneration of the Granton area where we’re unlocking brownfield land to build a new sustainable 20-minute neighbourhood. We’re continuing to work hard to ensure Granton is somewhere residents will be proud to live and I look forward to seeing progress continue throughout this year. Fraser Lynes, MD of Cruden, added: Silverlea is a great example of development with sustainability and community at its heart, and we are thrilled to be involved in the delivery of this transformational project. The City of Edinburgh Council must be commended in bringing forward these much needed social and mid-market homes amid the capital’s housing emergency, and for specifying them to net zero carbon standards, making them greener, cleaner and more efficient to heat and run. During this development, we’re looking forward to providing the new pavilion for Craigroyston Boys Club, carefully re-using the Griffens from the historic Muirhouse Mansion, as well as delivering an important programme of new tree planting and a wildflower meadow to enhance local greenspace. The progress is the latest in the Granton Waterfront regeneration with work already well underway on several other projects in the area. Over 400 net zero homes at Western Villages as well as 75 net zero homes at ‘Granton D1’ are currently under construction. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
