Berkeley and SNG (Sovereign Network Group) recently welcomed Tom Copley, Deputy Mayor for Housing at the Greater London Authority (GLA), to Grand Union, a major brownfield regeneration project in the London Borough of Brent, where 269 social rent homes are currently under construction.
The homes form part of Berkeley’s wider Grand Union development, which is transforming the once derelict Northfields Industrial Estate into a welcoming new part of the Alperton community.
SNG’s social rent homes will be allocated to people on Brent Council’s housing register, including those currently living in temporary accommodation, and will include one to four bedroom apartments.
This will bring the total number of new social rent homes delivered at Grand Union to 476, with the other 207 social rent homes taken by LBB Brent, along with 23 Shared Ownership homes.
During the visit, the Deputy Mayor viewed progress on the new social rent homes, which are part funded through the GLA’s affordable housing grant programme, as well as touring the wider Grand Union neighbourhood where Berkeley has been delivering a major placemaking programme since 2019. The development already supports a growing community of around 1,200 people, offering a mix of on-site amenities, including shops, restaurants, a café, community centre and a network of popular public squares and landscaped spaces.
The development will also include around 590 electric vehicle charging points, as well as improved walking and cycling routes linking to Stonebridge Park tube and rail station.
SNG’s partnership with Berkeley forms part of a wider agreement that will deliver a total of 555 social rent homes across two London sites. In addition to Grand Union, 286 homes are being built at Silkstream in the London Borough of Barnet. The homes are being part-funded through the Mayor of London’s Affordable Homes Programme 2021–26.
Joe Marshall, SNG’s Chief Investment and Development Officer, commented: “We were delighted to be able to showcase the progress being made at Grand Union in delivering much-needed affordable homes in the capital. It’s through the support of the GLA, and through partnerships with like-minded developers like Berkeley, that we’ve been able to keep building affordable homes at a time when our peers have had to pause development. With our partners, we can ensure these new homes will be genuinely affordable, offering local people who need them the opportunity of good home from which to build their lives.”
Piers Clanford, Chief Operating Officer, Berkeley Group, commented: "It was a pleasure to welcome Tom Copley to Grand Union to showcase the partnership between Berkeley, Sovereign Network Group and the GLA in delivering much needed affordable housing. Grand Union is an excellent example of what can be achieved with strong local leadership and a strong desire to deliver great outcomes for London’s communities. That’s what’s happened here, and the GLA, SNG and the London Borough of Brent deserve real credit for unlocking these much needed social rent homes."
Tom Copley, Deputy Mayor for Housing and Residential Development, said: “I was delighted to visit Grand Union today to see the excellent progress that is being made in Brent to deliver much-needed social rent homes in the capital.
“We are proud to be supporting the delivery of these homes through the Mayor’s Affordable Homes Programme.
“The Grand Union development will provide a real boost for local families and the wider community as we work to build a fairer, more prosperous London for everyone.”
Find out more about Berkeley's approach to brownfield regeneration here.