comment; new development 21


Could garden villages be the solution to the housing crisis?


additional ‘garden towns’ across England will see more than 48,000 new homes created, turning smaller hamlets into villages and expanding exist- ing towns onto nearby land. While these initiatives are clearly a step in the


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right direction to ease the lack of new housing and create new communities, they need to be carried out well and be responsive to the needs of the market and local people. There remains a need to upgrade our existing


stock and make use of what we have, but too often the current stock is not in a location which is favourable to modern living. One of the huge benefits of the garden village plan is that residents will be more able to be stimulated by the environment in which they live. This in turn has an impact on their general well-being and


orming a key part of measures to tackle the UK’s housing shortage, the Government’s proposed 14 ‘garden villages’ and three


mental health. In other words, it’s not just the home, it’s about what is around them. Setting and community is key, but it depends


on the specification, how much the developers have actually brought into the concept, and what will come out of it at the end. When these homes are built, it is hoped that the companies will take pride in the design and the build, and that sub-contractors will take pride in the work that they do. It cannot be seen as a way of making a quick profit because the Government is support- ing the scheme. ‘Special planning freedoms’ given for


these villages also necessitate a word of caution. Often this gets translated into pounds and pence and is less about the experience the individual will have when they are in the house. The builder is not as worried about the experience of the occupant, unless of course he’s building a high-spec home. There needs to be a clear aspiration by all


Britain might be one of the world’s richest countries, but housing is in a crisis of under- delivery. Darren Evans, managing director at Darren Evans Assessments, ponders whether Garden Villages could alleviate the problems.


parties to build high quality, attractive and thermally efficient homes which are a well- integrated mix of types, tenures and sizes to meet the identified needs of all ages and sectors of these new communities. The garden village scheme will have its


detractors, but in a bid to build more homes, and as an extra tool to fight the housing crisis, it has a lot of potential. It remains imperative that quality isn’t compromised and that each new home is desirable and will perform efficiently in the long term.


JV completes acquisition of 473-home east London regeneration scheme


space to Walthamstow town centre has been announced by joint venture ( JV) Hadley Property Group and L&Q. Consent was granted in May 2016 for 473


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new homes to be built on-site, of which 97 are designated as affordable housing. Speaking about the proposals, Mark Lebihan,


chief of operations at Hadley Property group, said that the completion of this acquisition is an


he acquisition of a major regeneration scheme that will introduce 473 new homes, a linear retail park and retail


“excellent example of the public and private sector coming together to deliver the housing that London so desperately needs.” He said: “Forging this partnership creates a


dynamic team capable of galvanising the considerable capabilities of both organisations, presenting the exciting prospect of further increasing the level of affordable housing delivered as part of this key site.” As well as new homes, the current plans


include 2,786 square metres of new public realm, the equivalent size of 10 tennis courts, including


a linear park running East to West through the site, a new retail space, which is hoped will become a cycle cafe, and 788 secure cycle parking spaces. Discussions have begun between the JV and


London Borough of Waltham Forest regarding amendments to the original consent, which will see an increase in the number of units (private and affordable) within the scheme, with the most significant increase in the percentage of affordable homes delivered. Jerome Geoghegan, group director of develop-


ment and sales at L&Q, said that the company are “pleased to be able to collaborate with Hadley Property Group and the London Borough of Waltham Forest,” and are looking forward to working towards delivering “communities that make the capital an even better place to live.” The joint venture is committed to using local


labour and will be investing in training and apprenticeships during the construction process. There are aspirations for the joint venture to deliver further schemes in London and the surrounding areas. Subject to final planning consent, construc-


tion is due to start in 2017, with first completions expected in 2019.


respond online at www.hbdonline.co.uk


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