Scheme will deliver 10% affordable housing
Assael has received planning permission for a 353-home scheme for the John Lewis Partnership.
The development will involve the demolition of an existing Waitrose store on the site, which is close to Bromley South station.
The homes will be built as part of a £500m joint venture between the John Lewis Partnership (JLP) and the real estate company Abrdn, which they formed in 2022 to deliver 1,000 homes in Bromley, West Ealing and Reading.
The scheme will deliver 323 build-to-rent homes and 30 will be London Living Rent. The London Living Rent units will offer discounted rent rates, up to 50% less than comparable homes on the open market.
A Greater London Authority report published in October last year noted “considering the scale of development proposed on the site, the level of affordable housing proposed is significantly below expectation.”
>> See also: John Lewis to appeal to the planning inspectorate for a decision on 428-home build-to-rent development
The report presented to the development control committee yesterday acknowledged that, while the 10% affordable housing offer is significantly below policy expectations, the applicant has demonstrated through financial viability testing that the proposed development will result in a significant financial deficit.
It further stated that their affordable housing offer exceeds the maximum viable amount.
The council report also stated that “officers attach very substantial weight to the significant contribution that the proposed 353 housing units would make in the context of the councils’ inability to currently demonstrate a five-year housing land supply and the recent failure of the Housing Delivery Test.”
JLP will own and manage the homes and has stated that local residents will be given priority for the new build-to-rent properties.
The development will comprise of three buildings and a new Waitrose store. The blocks will be 24 storeys, 19 storeys and 10 storeys tall.
Construction is expected to start between January and March 2025, with completion expected by the end of 2028.
Katherine Russell, the John Lewis Partnership’s director of BTR, said: “We’re delighted that the elected members have agreed with the recommendations of their planning officials and after receiving significant support from the residents of Bromley. This now gives us 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. ”
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