Argent Related unveils its vision for one of the UK’s largest developments, Brent Cross Town

Argent Related, a premier development company, together with Barnet Council, today announces its vision for the £5 billion, 180-acre North London neighbourhood, Brent Cross Town.

Brent Cross Town will be a new park town for London and will establish a new standard for large-scale urban regeneration. The ambitious scheme will transform the area into an inclusive, accessible town centre that will evolve to support the changing demands of modern life in a post-COVID world. The development will contribute to London’s green economic recovery with sustainability, health and wellbeing and a powerful sense of neighbourliness at its core.

Previously known as Brent Cross South, the new development uniquely incorporates 50 acres of parks and playing fields, which are central to the attraction for people to live, work and visit. Brent Cross Town will deliver 6,700 new homes for sale and for rent and will be a major new office destination. With 3 million square feet of office space, it will create a business ecosystem for 25,000 employees, offering purpose, flexibility and competitive advantage to like-minded organisations from a broad spectrum of sectors to come together in one amazing location.

Brent Cross Town will be a new hub in the capital for state-of-the-art sports and leisure facilities. Restaurants, retail—including local amenities and services—leisure, culture and events will add to the vibrancy of the area. It will also meet the needs of students with student accommodation and the redevelopment of three local schools. The town centre will connect to King’s Cross in 12 minutes via the new Brent Cross West station, which will be completed by end of 2022.

Argent Related is making four significant pledges for Brent Cross Town:

• To create the place in London to participate in sport and play. With 150,000 square feet of indoor facilities and 50 acres of parks, Brent Cross Town will provide the best of both traditional and emerging sports, working with leading sports organisations, governing bodies and hero ambassadors to help drive female participation and champion diversity and inclusion.
• To make a new North London town where all can flourish: Brent Cross Town will launch a Flourishing Index, which will pioneer the measurement of how individuals and communities flourish in a town centre. Partnering with Manchester University and Buro Happold, this approach represents a landmark moment in designing a development for mental health and wellbeing and demonstrates that Brent Cross Town is at the forefront of people-centred design.
• To be a net zero carbon town by 2030 at the latest. This will be achieved by driving down the embodied carbon in buildings and infrastructure, the carbon used in energy supply and offsetting the remainder. Partnering with Vattenfall, Brent Cross Town will deliver reliable and affordable zero carbon heating to homes, shops and businesses.
• To strengthen existing connections, both locally and into Central London; connecting businesses, customers, friends and family. Brent Cross Town is in an enviable location: 12 minutes to Central London, immediate access to the M1 and 5 major airports within one hour. Locally, new pedestrian and cycle routes will integrate Brent Cross Town with its surrounding communities.

With seismic societal shifts underway, as a people-led developer, Argent Related commissioned Copa, an insights agency, to conduct independent research with industry experts and 3,000 UK residents to help ensure it continually responds to its customer’s needs. The ‘Parks, Proximity and People: A Flourishing Future for Towns’ research identified four consumer and business trends.

The first trend is the desire for the 15-Minute Town. Based on the principle that the places you work, shop, play and learn should all be within 15-minutes from where you live, the 15-Minute Town is rapidly gaining traction in places as different as Paris and Bradford. A desire to live life more locally, engage more with our diverse communities and reduce travel has been hugely accelerated by the pandemic, prior to which over 80% of UK residents were travelling more than 15 minutes for work, hobbies and socializing—significantly longer in London.

A taste of hyperlocal life has given people the appetite for more, with close to 60% of people agreeing that lockdown has enhanced their love of their immediate area. Nearly 70% of people found the idea of a 15-Minute Town appealing, with the top two reasons being to reduce their environmental impact and to support local businesses. The top five amenities people wanted in their 15-Minute Town are: a supermarket; transport connections; natural green space; parks; and restaurants.

The second trend is the Desire to Flourish. Social inequalities magnified under the pandemic brought out people’s altruistic side. 60% of UK residents were worried about their own health, yet 80% were concerned for the society as a whole. 80% of respondents agreed that where you live is vital to your health and wellbeing and 72% think that new towns should be built with a view to helping their inhabitants to flourish.

Re-thinking work and place is the third trend. Although people’s experience of working from home has largely been positive, they have faced significant challenges and have missed the office for its social aspects: they have missed their colleagues. It is predicted that the new hybrid will be home, office and the third space, with the role of the office being primarily to drive collaboration, innovation and people development. While 71% of people want to see more homeworking in the future, 52% have missed going to the office and are looking forward to returning and 63% of people want to live closer to work.

The last trend is 360-degree Environmental Lives. 75% of people believe climate change is real (8% do not agree). As a result, people want and expect change in corporate behaviour. The research showed 70% of people want the companies and organisations that look after local amenities to support them in leading more environmentally friendly lives.

Nick Searl, partner of Argent Related and joint-lead for Brent Cross Town, says, “This is an exciting moment for us and our partners at Barnet Council. After several years of careful thought and planning, it’s a real privilege to set out our vision for Brent Cross Town, a park town that will support the future of London. We will demand the highest commitments to health and wellbeing, sustainability and ensuring flourishing and connected communities—which will be measured with our pioneering Flourishing Index. With so many aspects of our society undergoing change, we will strive to ensure that Brent Cross Town meets the evolving needs of people, business and the environment.”

Ken Wong, COO and director of International Development, Related, said, “By combining our global development experience and local insights, Argent Related will set new standards of urban regeneration on this scale. We are establishing an ambition for a thriving new town centre that will both inspire and pioneer future ways of living and working and, importantly, one that will stand the test of time and the market’s cycles.”

Councillor Daniel Thomas, leader of Barnet Council, said, “In partnership with Argent Related, we are creating a new town for Barnet. Connected by the new Brent Cross West Station and with an ambition to create 25,000 jobs, excellent schools and world-class facilities, Brent Cross Town will ensure our new and existing communities thrive. The protection and enhancement of acres of existing green space provides the unique opportunity to create an area that has health, wellbeing and sustainability at the heart of its design. Brent Cross Town is the most ambitious development project the borough has ever seen, and it comes at a time where the coronavirus has changed the way we think, feel and what we want from the place we call home; we have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to respond to changing needs and attitudes and build a place that is truly fit for the future.”

Early enabling infrastructure works for Brent Cross Town began in 2020. It is anticipated that the first phase of homes and offices will be occupied from 2024.

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About Brent Cross Town:
Brent Cross Town is the neighbourhood at the heart of the Brent Cross Cricklewood regeneration programme. It is a joint venture between Argent Related and Barnet Council to develop a large-scale mixed-use development including new homes, retail and office space, as well as improved schools and greenspaces in the area. Early work started on site in early 2020 and construction is also underway on the new Brent Cross West station which will be completed by the end of 2022. Building on the strengths of this diverse part of the city, Brent Cross Town will draw inspiration from the best of London’s long-established neighbourhoods with all their complexity and character. At its heart, will be a focus on sport, play, health and well-being. The new neighbourhood will provide 6,700 homes, state-of-the-art workspace for over 25,000 people, and pedestrian friendly streets and squares with local shops and restaurants that will complement the offer at Brent Cross Shopping Centre. The community will be supported by first-class public transport infrastructure, a new and improved network of walking and cycle routes and a series of new parks and other amenities. www.brentcrosstown.co.uk @brentcrosstown

About Argent Related:
Argent Related brings together an extraordinary blend of complementary skills, access to global capital and unrivalled technical and delivery experience. Argent Related generates superior returns for all stakeholders by developing for the long-term. Argent, the respected developer with a track record in creating exemplar new pieces of UK cities including King’s Cross, joined forces in March 2015 with Related, the most prominent privately-owned real estate firm in the United States responsible for Hudson Yards. The company has a £5 Bn+ development pipeline in London which includes the delivery of two major regeneration schemes featuring over 7,900 homes, over 3 million sq ft of office space, 50 acres of parks and playing fields, as well as retail, leisure, student accommodation and schools, both highly accessible from new and improved public transport connections. It is currently working in a joint venture with Barnet Council on London’s 180-acre Brent Cross South site, with the London Borough of Haringey for the Tottenham Hale redevelopment and is progressing other opportunities in London including a build-to-rent development in King’s Cross. www.argentrelated.com