Scheme will include a 35% quota for affordable accommodation
Henley Halebrown has been given the green light for a 316-bed student housing scheme on Marshgate Lane in Stratford, next to Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
The client is student accommodation specialist Alumno, working with Hurlington Capital.
Henley Halebrown associate Jack Hawthorne said: “This is an important project for the practice, particularly in light of the wellbeing of young people and the role that architecture and their environment can play in this.
“On an urban level, the scheme forms a key piece of the emerging Pudding Mill Lane development, establishing a new street that connects Marshgate Lane with the City Mill River.
“This street will be characterised by a lively ground floor populated with artists’ studios and social space for students, encouraging communities to mix and rooting the building in its surroundings.”
The planning decision follows detailed consultation with the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC), which was established after the 2012 Olympics to develop a new heart for east London, and to deliver innovation and growth to the area.
The scheme will adjoin Pudding Mill Lane Docklands Light Railway station, and the area covered by the Pudding Mill Lane Masterplan currently being developed by LLDC.
University College London (UCL) has expressed interest in a nominations agreement, with the site just a 10-minute walk from its new East Campus. This would enable UCL to propose a minimum number of students for the new residence each year for an agreed period.
Residents of the development will have access to amenities designed for study and leisure. These include lounges, study spaces, cinema room, private dining area, gym, games room, external courtyard spaces and four roof terraces. Additionally, 35% of rooms will be designated as affordable as defined through the London Plan.
In line with Alumno’s commitment to benefiting the local community, the adjacent canal towpath will be upgraded, and a number of affordable artist workspaces are proposed for the ground floor. This initiative will be run in partnership with SPACE Studios, a visual arts organisation, which supports artists by providing creative workspace, advocacy and professional development.
Alumno managing director David Campbell said, “We’re delighted to have gained approval for another new Alumno development, which will help close London’s student accommodation gap, free up local community housing and provide welcome rejuvenation and an economic boost to the area.”
Knight Frank partner Chris Benham said, “We worked hard with officers in a positive and constructive way to make sure that we achieved the design standards expected by the LLDC and our university partner, while also ensuring a very constrained site is deliverable.”
Benham added: “The site represents the missing piece of the Pudding Mill Lane puzzle, and its delivery will play a key role in the continued regeneration of the area.”
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