London Co-Living Could Gain Faster Planning Route Under New Draft London Plan
London’s fast-growing co-living sector could benefit from a clearer route through the planning system under proposals contained within the new draft London Plan, potentially helping developers unlock more purpose-built shared living schemes across the capital. The emerging policy introduces an important change for Large-scale Purpose-built Shared Living (LSPBSL), the planning terminology used for developments commonly known as co-living. Under the proposals, co-living schemes would ordinarily continue through the viability-tested planning route and make a payment towards conventional affordable housing. However, developments providing conventional affordable housing on site at the relevant threshold could instead qualify for the Fast Track Route. For developers, investors and design teams operating in the co-living market, the change could provide another option when structuring schemes and their affordable housing provision. The Fast Track Route is designed to provide greater planning certainty for developments meeting the required affordable housing and other policy criteria, reducing the need for the detailed viability information associated with the viability-tested process. The proposal comes as London continues to explore different housing models capable of responding to demand while making more effective use of constrained urban land. Co-living has emerged as one such model, typically combining private living accommodation with considerably larger communal areas and shared facilities. Developments can incorporate lounges, co-working areas, kitchens and dining spaces, gyms, terraces and landscaped areas, with the buildings generally operated under a single management structure. The draft London Plan places considerable emphasis on the quality of these environments. Proposed policy requires shared living developments to focus on communal living, with internal and external spaces designed to encourage social interaction, alongside functional private living areas. Schemes would also need to be carefully located, designed and managed to complement mixed and inclusive neighbourhoods. Management is another important element. Large-scale shared living developments would be required to operate under single management, supported by a management plan addressing the continued quality and maintenance of the building, security, safety and service arrangements. From a built environment perspective, the proposals could have implications extending beyond planning. Greater certainty around co-living development could create opportunities for architects, contractors, consultants, interior designers, landscape specialists and property management businesses as schemes move from feasibility and planning into construction and long-term operation. Co-living is particularly suited to complex urban regeneration and mixed-use developments where residential accommodation can be combined with commercial uses, active ground floors, amenities and new public realm. The draft policy specifically recognises that purpose-built shared living can form part of mixed-use regeneration and redevelopment schemes where locations are well connected to local services and public transport. The wider draft London Plan was published on 16 July 2026 and remains under consultation until 15 October, meaning the policies are proposals rather than adopted planning requirements. If carried through into the final plan, the new approach could give co-living developers a more defined choice over affordable housing delivery while further establishing purpose-built shared living as part of London’s evolving residential and BTR landscape. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Arada submits planning applications for £2.5bn Thameside West, unlocking nearly 1,500 homes, affordable housing and new waterfront park at East London regeneration project
Arada, the leading international master developer, has submitted a series of planning applications to the London Borough of Newham to advance the delivery of Thameside West, one of London’s largest and most ambitious regeneration projects, with proposals that would unlock the delivery of affordable housing and connect the area between the Thames and Royal Docks for the first time. Spanning over 47 acres in London’s Royal Docks, Thameside West has a Gross Development Value of £2.5 billion, with the potential to deliver at least 5,000 homes as part of a vibrant new district of East London. Building on the existing hybrid planning permission, the plans set out Arada’s landscape-led approach to the first stage of the project. This stage comprises nearly 1,500 new homes across six buildings, the first two of which will now be 100% social rent and will include three and four bedroom family homes. The plans are also designed to improve the permeability between buildings, which are organised around a network of streets, gardens, parks and shared spaces. New ground floor units facing onto the park will provide space for amenities, such as cafes and restaurants. A coherent architectural character has been applied, which responds to the individual positioning of each building along the dock-facing edge, park and Bell Lane, which now forms part of the site. At the heart of the proposals will be a new seven-acre park, alongside around 1,000 new trees, creating a greener, more biodiverse environment for residents and the wider community. The park will serve both recreational and everyday needs, framed by smaller gardens and planted edges to enhance biodiversity, as well as dedicated play spaces including adventure-filled woodland areas, play trails and play-on-the-way spaces. This is further complemented by a kilometre of active waterfront and a riverside walk along Bell Lane, which marks the south-east border of the site. A community design group of 20 local residents is working with Arada to help shape a section of park around local needs. A series of workshops is now underway, giving residents the opportunity to share local knowledge, explore ideas and inform the design of a welcoming and inclusive public space. Accessible public realm and landscaping sit at the heart of Arada’s vision for Thameside West, creating a new destination for recreation, leisure and community use and forging a new connection between the Thames and the Royal Docks. The rich industrial heritage of Silvertown will be woven into the design through the use of ropework-inspired detailing and paths. This underscores Arada’s commitment to unlocking and delivering high quality, genuinely affordable new homes that meet local need with a focus on nature and wellbeing. Ahmed Alkhoshaibi, Group CEO of Arada, said: “Thameside West is a landscape-led masterplan, composed by nature, open to all and made for London. “This is London’s next social gateway: a new riverfront neighbourhood inspired by the future, where local life meets global ambition once again and where homes, wellness, water, culture and community are connected by design. “This is one of London’s most significant remaining riverfront regeneration opportunities – more than 5,000 homes, over one kilometre of river frontage and over six hectares of publicly accessible amenity. We have the ambition to create more than a new residential district. Thameside West is planned as a neighbourhood within the city, not an enclave at its edge: a new piece of East London where the quality of everyday London life comes first.” Tom Copley, Deputy Mayor for Housing and Residential Development, said: “Tackling London’s housing crisis is the Mayor’s top priority and Thameside West will help deliver the new homes Londoners deserve, including much needed social rent and family housing. “By combining affordability, high-quality design and generous green spaces, Thameside West will transform a key brownfield site in the Royal Docks into a thriving new neighbourhood and help build a better, fairer London for everyone.” Situated across the river from Greenwich Peninsula and Canary Wharf, with Royal Victoria Dock, City Hall, Excel and Silvertown to the north and east, Thameside West sits at the meeting point of the Thames, the Royal Docks and some of London’s most significant transport, cultural and regeneration infrastructure. Arada is progressing design development with Transport for London (TfL) on a new DLR station, a major piece of public infrastructure, which it is intended to open in time for the arrival of the site’s first residents. The DLR is one of the UK’s busiest light rail routes with 97.8 million passenger journeys recorded during the year ended March 2025.[1] The wider area is well served by public transport, and a new station will offer enhanced accessibility for future Thameside West residents and nearby neighbours and businesses. Thameside West is being brought forward in partnership with the Greater London Authority’s (GLA) Royal Docks Team, reflecting a shared commitment to delivering new homes, public infrastructure and long-term economic growth across the Royal Docks. Global architecture firm Gensler, global built environment consultancy Arup, and landscape architects Planit are advising on the scheme. [1] Department for Transport, Light rail and tram statistics, England: year ending March 2025 Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Willmott Dixon Tops Out £140m Derriford Emergency Care Centre in New Hospital Programme Milestone
Willmott Dixon has reached a major construction milestone at Derriford Hospital in Plymouth, topping out the £140 million emergency care building that is set to transform urgent and emergency healthcare provision across Plymouth, South Devon and Cornwall. The project represents the first Wave 1 scheme within the Government’s New Hospital Programme to reach this stage, marking significant progress for one of the NHS’s major healthcare infrastructure investments. Representatives from Willmott Dixon, its supply chain and the wider design team joined University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust (UHP) and hospital staff to celebrate completion of the building’s structural frame. Construction of the frame has required approximately 10,900 cubic metres of concrete and 1,900 tonnes of recycled steel reinforcement, with reducing embodied carbon forming an important part of the structural design from the outset. Around 55% of the cement content has been replaced with ground granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBS), a by-product of iron and steel production. This approach has resulted in an estimated carbon saving of 1,625 tonnes from the concrete used on the project to date. The sustainability strategy forms part of a wider drive to reduce the environmental impact of new NHS infrastructure. The Derriford development is one of the first New Hospital Programme schemes designed to meet the NHS Net Zero Building Standard, placing energy performance and carbon reduction at the heart of its design and construction. Once completed in April 2029, the new building will provide four clinical floors of modern, purpose-built accommodation for urgent and emergency care. An expanded Emergency Department will occupy the ground floor, increasing capacity and providing facilities designed specifically around modern emergency healthcare requirements. Following completion, the hospital’s existing emergency department will be reconfigured to create a dedicated Paediatric Emergency Department. The investment will provide an important upgrade to Derriford Hospital’s healthcare estate while supporting services for patients across a wide regional catchment. Delivery of the £140 million scheme is being undertaken through the ProCure23 framework, which is used by NHS organisations to procure healthcare construction and development projects. With the structural frame now complete, attention will increasingly move towards the building envelope, mechanical and electrical services, internal fit-out and the extensive specialist clinical infrastructure required before the new facility can become operational. The topping out represents an important step towards the April 2029 completion target and provides a significant early construction milestone for the wider New Hospital Programme. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Alumno reaches topping out milestone on new 262- bed student residence in Glasgow
Alumno has marked a significant milestone in the construction of its new purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) development Woodlands Point on St George’s Road in Glasgow, celebrating the topping out of the six-storey, 262-bed residence. The topping out ceremony marks the completion of the building’s main structural frame and represents an important step towards delivering much-needed student accommodation in the city. The ceremony was attended by representatives from Alumno, Henderson Park, international private equity real estate firm, and the main contractor Clark Contracts and members of the wider project team. Located in Glasgow’s west end, close to the city centre, Woodlands Point sits within the vibrant Woodlands district, one of the city’s most established student neighbourhoods. With local shops, bars, restaurants and cultural venues nearby, the scheme has been designed to become part of the existing neighbourhood while responding to the significant demand for student accommodation in Glasgow. The six-storey development will provide a mix of four and five-bed cluster flats and studio apartments, alongside a range of shared amenities. These include a ground-floor common room, sixth-floor dining, study and lounge spaces, and landscaped courtyard areas to the rear. David Campbell, CEO of Alumno, said: “The topping out stage is always exciting as you can really start to see the building and the community it will form. Student accommodation should always feel like part of a neighbourhood, not separate from it and we have worked hard to understand what makes Woodlands Point special and to create a place where students can feel at home, connect with one another and engage with the wider community. We are delighted to reach this milestone and look forward to seeing the project progress towards completion.” Mrinal Jalan, Managing Director at Henderson Park, commented: “Reaching this milestone is an important step towards delivering a high-quality student accommodation scheme in one of the UK’s most sought-after university markets. This project stood out to us due to its excellent location in Glasgow’s West End. Together with Alumno and Clark Contracts, we are creating a modern development that will provide students with a best-in-class living experience while helping to address the growing demand for high-quality accommodation in the city.” Michael Scanlan, Director, Clark Contracts said: “It’s fantastic to reach the topping out stage at St George’s Road and celebrate the progress made on site. This milestone is the result of the dedication shown by everyone involved in the project and demonstrates the strong partnership between Clark Contracts, Alumno and the wider design team. As well as helping address the demand for student accommodation in Glasgow, this development will create a high-quality place for students to live and become part of the local community. We look forward to completing the next phases of construction and delivering a project that will make a positive contribution to the city.” The project is funded by Henderson Park, an international private equity real estate firm, and the professional team includes Stallan Brand Architects, RankinFraser Landscape Architecture, Will Rudd Davidson, Ridge and Partners and Sound Advice Acoustics. With the main structure now complete, works will continue the building’s façade, interiors and landscaping, with completion scheduled ahead of the 2027 academic year. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
DMA Group awarded place on new Government facilities management framework
Property maintenance specialist DMA Group has been approved onto the Government Commercial Agency’s new facilities management and security services framework. DMA Maintenance, known as DMA Group, has been named as a supplier on the Government Commercial Agency’s RM6378 Facilities Management and Security Services framework, Lot 2a: Hard Facilities Management. Through Lot 2a, public sector organisations can access DMA Group’s hard FM services, including gas, heating and plumbing, for contracts with an estimated average annual value up to £2m. With a heritage spanning more than 200 years, DMA Group delivers fully integrated hard facilities management, mechanical and electrical maintenance and energy sustainability solutions for a range of private and public sector customers across the UK. Government Commercial Agency (GCA) is the UK’s central commercial and procurement organisation, connecting public and private sectors to achieve the best outcomes for the UK and its citizens. GCA uses its commercial expertise to create a simpler procurement experience that redirects valuable resources into essential public services – creating value for the nation. DMA Group is also a supplier on the RM6264 Facilities Management and Workplace Services DPS, which covers lower value and less complex hard and soft FM services. Together, the two agreements give public sector buyers a compliant route to DMA Group across a broad range of estate requirements. DMA Group Managing Director Wendy Bennett said: “Public sector estate teams are under real pressure to keep buildings safe, compliant and running, often with less resource than they need. Being on Lot 2a means they can bring us in without a lengthy procurement exercise and get on with the work. “As an independent SME, we are proud to have been successful in this competitive framework process. Buyers in this value range want responsiveness and accountability, and that is what we are built around.” With its head office in Rochester, Kent, and working across London and the South East, DMA Group is well placed to support public sector estates across the region, with recent contract wins including the London Borough of Sutton and Thurrock Council in Essex. Key to winning and retaining contracts like these is DMA’s award-winning BiO® service management platform, which gives customers complete visibility of asset condition, compliance status and performance, with automated calls-to-action that remove manual intervention, saving time and cost. All performance data is available to everyone, anywhere, anytime, on any device and at no extra cost, offering a level of transparency rarely seen in the sector. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
HG Construction Lands Major Ilford Residential Scheme with 326 Homes Set for Former Department Store Site
HG Construction has been appointed to deliver a major residential development on the site of the former Harrison Gibson department store in Ilford, bringing forward 326 new homes on a prominent east London site that has remained vacant for almost a decade. The contractor will deliver the new homes in residential towers on Ilford High Road for MP Living, the social housing provider established by real estate investment manager Meadow Partners. Main construction work can now move forward after MP Living secured the first tranche of grant funding from the Greater London Authority (GLA), marking an important step towards regenerating the long-vacant town centre site. MP Living is working in partnership with the GLA and the London Borough of Redbridge to deliver the development and will retain ownership and management of the completed homes, providing a long-term approach to the operation of the new residential community. The project represents a significant intervention in Ilford town centre, transforming a former retail site into much-needed housing while bringing a prominent stretch of the High Road back into productive use. The Harrison Gibson department store was once an important part of Ilford’s retail landscape, but the site has stood vacant for nearly ten years. Previous redevelopment proposals failed to progress, before MP Living brought forward a new residential-led vision for the site. Redbridge Council’s Planning Committee unanimously approved the proposals in May 2025, clearing the way for the development team to progress funding and construction preparations. The scheme also demonstrates the growing role of partnerships between private investors, local authorities and the GLA in unlocking difficult urban sites for housing delivery. J. Andrew McDaniel, director of MP Living and co-founder and partner at Meadow Partners, said London continued to experience substantial demand for affordable housing while facing major challenges in bringing forward sufficient new supply. He said the development demonstrated what could be achieved through constructive strategic partnerships between the public and private sectors, with MP Living taking a long-term investment position within the affordable housing market. For HG Construction, the appointment adds another significant London residential project to its pipeline and follows its continued expansion across high-rise housing, affordable homes and purpose-built student accommodation. With grant funding now beginning to flow and a main contractor appointed, the development is positioned to move into its construction phase, bringing a site that has remained dormant for years back to life. Once completed, the 326-home scheme will not only deliver new housing but also contribute to the continuing regeneration and residential transformation of Ilford town centre. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals