CASE STUDY 17
The first phase of Broadoaks Park is now 100 per cent reserved, and the first residents have already moved in. Phase 2, which includes a mix of four to six bedroom family homes, is now 50 per cent reserved, and the third phase is due to launch this spring.
POTENTIAL
The mansion was originally built in the heart of Broadoaks Park, to a design by Ernest Seth-Smith in 1876. From a distin- guished line of Scottish architects responsible for building large areas of London’s Belgravia, from Eaton Square to Wilton Crescent, Seth-Smith designed the mansion and grounds at Broadoaks to be the “ultimate country retreat,” commented Octagon. The surrounding lodges and summer houses were added over the subsequent 40 years, contribut- ing “further gravitas and character to the site.” “We chose this site first and foremost
for its location,” explains Tim Banks, Octagon’s CEO. “We already knew West Byfleet well, and our name was recog- nised in the area thanks to our extensive experience on the nearby St George’s Hill Estate (Cobham and Esher).” The location’s main attraction for the developer was its close proximity to West Byfleet village centre and in particular its train station, with journeys to Waterloo taking only 30 minutes. This makes it “a fantastic location for city commuters,” says Banks.
The developer says the team saw the potential of the site “from day one,” and knew it had the range of skills required for the restoration of Grade II listed build- ings, as well as the extensive landscaping around the 300-year-old oaks on the main green. The key challenge was to deliver “top specification, luxurious homes to a keen, affluent local market.”
THE ‘RIGHT PRODUCT’ Historically, Banks says Octagon uses “flagship” luxury properties to underpin its developments, and this project was no different. “They provide a level of finan- cial stability to the project, and offer buyers a slightly more accessible home than the supermansions which are associ- ated with our brand.” He says that in general, when Octagon
are offered the “right land and the right price,” they take the opportunity, and this was the case at Broadoaks Park. The team spent years developing plans for the project to make sure they created the right product for this particular market, and Banks believes the “excep- tional sales activity” they’ve had so far is testament to success.
Octagon started this planning process in 2016, accompanied by extensive public consultation. By July 2018, the team was given the green light to begin construction on the development as it is now being realised.
As part of the plans, the team were required to widen the nearby Parvis Road to help with traffic flow, as well as widen and extend the existing footpath into the village centre and add a ‘Toucan’ crossing, the infrastructure improvements benefit- ting the local community as well as Broadoaks Park residents.
CHALLENGING, BUT EXCITING When it came to the construction stage, Banks says that the existing Grade II buildings provided some of the “most challenging, yet exciting” parts of the project.
When Octagon acquired the site, he says the buildings were in a “desolate” condition, so important consideration had to be paid to how the team would restore and convert them, while of course making them commercially viable.
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