The John Lewis Partnership has got the go ahead for its first build-to-rent development.
The retailer has got the nod from the London Borough of Bromley for its plans to turn 4.2 acres of land next to Bromley South railway station in the town centre, which includes its Waitrose store, into a 353-home BTR scheme.
The plans also include new public green spaces, a cafe and amenity spaces for local community groups.
The homes will include a mix of one, two and three-bedroom properties and “as much affordable housing as is commercially viable”.
Options for long-term tenancies will be offered to provide residents with the opportunity to remain living there for as long as they wish.
The existing Waitrose store on the site will be retained and extended.
Katherine Russell, director of BTR at John Lewis, said the consent gave the partnership the “opportunity to enhance the local area, create vital new housing for the local people of Bromley and deliver a state-of-the-art Waitrose, which sits at the heart of the community”.
James Dunne, head of operational real estate at Abrdn, which has a £500m joint venture with JLP to deliver around 1,000 new homes across three local communities, including Bromley, added: “Well designed and professionally managed rental homes are a vital component in helping to solve the UK’s housing needs. Build-to-rent on brownfield sites such as this can also act as an anchor for town centre regeneration and wider community investment.”
Construction of the project is set to begin in early 2025, with completion scheduled for late 2028.
Plans for the project were first submitted – alongside similar proposals for 428 homes in West Ealing – in summer 2023. A further 200 homes are planned in Reading, Berkshire.
Image © Assael Architecture
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