300 Harrow Road

Our residential team worked with long-term customer Westminster City Council to create a 100 per cent affordable housing scheme in the heart of the London borough.

300 Harrow Road is a mixed-use development of 112 new homes. It also provides over 1,400 square metres of community facilities including a new community hall, nursery, flexible workspace and canal-side café. It is capped off by our work to improve the surrounding green space, including giving residents easy access to Regents Canal.

Engaging with the local community has been important throughout the project

A series of firsts

This is the first major development completed under Westminster City Council’s Fairer Westminster strategy, underlining the local authority’s commitment to provide more affordable housing.

This sees the homes available for both social rent and affordable intermediate rent. This includes the studios and one-bed homes available for intermediate rent, while homes with at least two bedrooms are available for social rent to meet the need for family-sized homes in Westminster.

Another achievement is that this development is the first in the country to provide the highest airflow rates for any heating and cooling system of its type. This keeps homes at the desired temperature all year round and at a low cost.

Sustainability a key feature

Residents also benefit from the use of air source heat pumps, solar panels, rainwater collection and living roofs, resulting in lower energy bills and a reduction in carbon emissions. The air source heat pumps, which provide heating and cooling to tenants, are 300 per cent more efficient than standard gas boilers.

Civic placemaking and social value

Alongside the new homes, our team have delivered wider benefits for the community. These include a new enterprise space, community centre and an early year’s childcare facility. Also, we as provided employment opportunities and skills initiatives with apprenticeships and work placements for local people, with 15 jobs for Westminster residents created through the project.

By improving public green spaces, we have reconnected the Warwick Estate with the wider neighbourhood and open up access to the Grand Union canal.

Comments

Cllr Matt Noble, Cabinet Member for Climate Action, Regeneration and Renters at Westminster City Council, said:

"The completion of 300 Harrow Road is a momentous step in creating truly affordable, energy-efficient, family-sized homes which are vital for our residents in Westminster. Previously only 17 homes here were going to be council homes for social rent, however we increased this to 77 new council homes for social rent and 35 for intermediate rent.

"The investment in facilities for the local community will re-energise the area and provide benefits for local people for years to come. This is how we’re building a fairer city – understanding the needs of our community and creating secure, affordable homes to meet that need.”

Mark Chamberlain, Project Director at Willmott Dixon, said:

“We are delighted to have built these fantastic, high-quality and sustainable new homes at 300 Harrow Road. These homes and community facilities will make a positive difference to the residents of Westminster."

Further points of interest

• The community centre building will also provide space for a housing hub facility providing better access for local residents to our housing services.
• The nursery space will provide space for 60 local children across the Early Years Foundation Stage age groups with a new secure playground.
• This is one of the first developments in the country to provide highest airflow rates for any heating and cooling system of its type through an ambient loop system air source heatpump.