Brent Cross Town’s first co-living homes were given the go-ahead, as planning permission was granted for 352 studios which will be delivered by Halcyon Development Partners (‘Halcyon’) and DTZ Investors’ Folk Co-living Fund (‘Folk’). The milestone follows continued investment and construction this year at Related Argent and Barnet Council’s new 180-acre, £8bn park town.
Situated near Merchant Street – the development’s new high street – and adjacent to Neighbourhood Square at the centre of the town, residents building will benefit from a prime location just a few minutes’ walk from Brent Cross West rail station, offering direct connections to St Pancras International in only 12 minutes.Amenities in the Assael Architecture designed building will include workspace, external terraces, a wellness spa and a rooftop residents’ kitchen, and will be managed by Folk. The development will be the fourth collaboration between Halcyon and DTZ Investors and follows the success of previous award-winning sites in the capital.
The new homes are integral to the wider vision to create an intergenerational community at Brent Cross Town where all can flourish. The building will sit at the heart of a new quarter which will be neighboured by retirement living homes, Build-to-Rent, affordable housing, student accommodation and homes for private sale.
In total Brent Cross Town – one of Europe’s largest regeneration projects – will boast 6,700 new homes, 3m sq ft of offices, a high street with shops and restaurants, three redeveloped schools and 50 acres of parks and playing fields. The community is already taking shape following the completion of four residential buildings with 3,000 people expected to call this vibrant park town their home by the end of the year.
Oli Rifkind, Executive Director, Related Argent said: “These co-living homes are integral to our vision of creating an exciting new town with a range of home options for Londoners. By incorporating varied types of living spaces, we aim to create a dynamic and inclusive community that caters to different needs and lifestyles. Importantly, we are also continuing to play our part in delivering the housing that the capital so greatly needs.”
Nik Dyer, Development Director at Halcyon, said: “We are thrilled that our plans for Brent Cross Town have been approved. The development combines our learnings and experience from previous developments to create a truly outstanding co-living offer for future residents. Our co-living units will add to the vibrant emerging living offer in this new London neighbourhood; an exemplar of what can be achieved through successful and collaborative masterplanning.”
Chris Saunders, Fund Director at DTZ Investors said: “We are excited to be able to bring Folk’s market-leading co-living offering to Brent Cross Town as we continue to grow our portfolio of best-in-class co-living communities. By incorporating actual, real-time resident data, feedback and operational experience from our portfolio into the design of the scheme, this next Folk asset will set a new standard for purpose-built shared-living and make a significant contribution to the diversity of residential offering at Brent Cross Town.”
Councillor Ross Houston, Barnet Council Cabinet Member for Homes and Regeneration, said: “Plans for our first co-living building at Brent Cross Town show our continued commitment to providing a range of housing options at our emerging neighbourhood, whilst shared-living also helps foster a sense of community amongst the people that live there.”
