Specialist housing association Women’s Pioneer Housing has selected HUB and Bridges Fund Management to deliver an £80m redevelopment at 227 Wood Lane, W12.
HUB and Bridges were selected through an OJEU procurement which launched in 2017. The partners will deliver 80 affordable-rented homes for women, a new 43,000 sq ft WPH headquarters and an additional residential building, which is expected to have at least 300 homes.
The duo has acquired the long leasehold interest in the additional residential component. These homes will not be female-only and the partners are exploring various tenures, including a specialist co-living product.
WPH will retain ownership of the 80 rental homes and the freehold for the 0.54-acre site opposite the Imperial North Campus, north of the redeveloped BBC Television Centre. It currently consists of a number of WPH buildings, including 36 homes and the housing association’s head office.
WPH was founded in 1920 by suffrage campaigners and backed by wealthy benefactors, to provide housing for newly-independent women looking to rent alone in London after World War I. It specialises in providing affordable housing for single women of all ages nominated by local authorities.
The housing association owns and manages more than 1,000 social rented properties in the capital and plans to increase this by 15% over the next five years. The Wood Lane development will be its largest scheme to date.
Chief executive Denise Fowler said: “It’s nearly a century after Women’s Pioneer Housing was founded, and women are still facing economic disadvantage in finding suitable housing at reasonable rents.
“This scheme will provide much needed housing for a wide range of women, providing security for those who need the flats long term and a springboard for those whose incomes rise as they progress in their careers.”
Steve Sanham, managing director at HUB, said: “We will be working very closely with our partners and local stakeholders to develop a scheme that complements the area, mediating between the scale of Imperial North Campus and the local neighbourhood.”
HUB will kick-off a community engagement process in the coming months, with a planning application to be developed later in the year.
Bridges specialises in sustainable and social impact investment. HUB and Bridges are jointly developing a number of lower-cost housing developments across Greater London, with a pipeline of more than 1,500 homes at a combined value in excess of £500m.
To send feedback, e-mail emma.rosser@egi.co.uk or tweet @EmmaARosser or @estatesgazette
