The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, today announced that a developer has been chosen to drive forward the site on which the capital’s first community land trust will be built in east London.
The Mayor has confirmed that leading construction firm Galliford Try has been selected as the preferred developer to build more than 200 homes at the former St Clements hospital site in Mile End, Tower Hamlets.
The project is a key part of the Mayor’s wider commitment to build more homes for Londoners on public land, boosting jobs in the construction industry and supporting the capital’s economy.
The development will see the freehold of the entire site being held in trust for the local community – which will preserve the value of the land for the community in the long-term.
Some of the homes will be directly owned by the East London Community Land Trust and the residents will have direct involvement in the management of the whole neighbourhood once it is built. The development will also preserve a number of important historic buildings, including a nineteenth century, grade-II listed workhouse.
The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: "The East London Community Land Trust at St Clements will put local people in the driving seat and empower them to take stewardship of what will be a fantastic new neighbourhood that will boast over 200 quality homes. This is a huge step forward for everyone who has been working so hard to deliver what will be the UK’s first urban Community Land Trust, right here in London. It is also a great example of how in tough financial times we can release public land to increase housing supply, supporting the construction industry and giving the economy a vital boost."
Galliford Try Affordable Housing Division Managing Director, Stephen Teagle, said: "Galliford Try is proud to be a part of the team delivering London’s first Community Land Trust development. Our strength in building partnerships and delivering affordable housing solutions helps us create high quality mixed tenure communities and we look forward to working closely with the Community Land Trust on realising their ambitions and delivering an exemplar scheme for London."
East London Community Land Trust Chair of Trustees, Paul Regan, said: "We are delighted to be working with Galliford Try and the Mayor to deliver London’s first ever CLT. Developers who commit to working with local communities not only build better homes, they build relationships and better neighbourhoods. And that’s exactly what this unique partnership is creating."
Neil Jameson, Executive Director of campaign group London Citizens, said: "The Mayor deserves to be congratulated for sticking to his promise and pioneering the UK’s first ever urban Community Land Trust at St Clements Hospital. And we share his ambition to see it used to build a lasting legacy of permanently affordable housing at the Olympic Park."
Notes to editors
- Galliford Try is selected as the preferred bidder following a procurement exercise by the Homes and Communities Agency’s Delivery Partner Panel. Subject to planning around 223 homes could be built, 35 per cent of which would be affordable.
-Around 45 per cent of the affordable rented and 30 per cent of the affordable home ownership homes will be family-sized homes with three bedrooms or more. The affordable rented homes will be delivered by a Registered Provider and it is intended that the affordable home ownership homes (approximately 21 homes) will be owned by the CLT.
- People who live and work in the defined local community will have the opportunity to become members of the Community Land Trust.
- Members of the CLT control it and the assets it owns are protected by an asset lock, i.e. if the asset is sold, the cash is re-invested into something else of benefit to the local community.
- Galliford Try plc is a leading UK housebuilding and construction group. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and a member of the FTSE 250. The housebuilding business – through its Linden Homes brand – sells distinctive homes to the public and affordable homes to housing associations and local authority providers across the South and South East of England.
- The construction business carries out building and infrastructure work across the UK with clients ranging from major Government departments through to regulated utilities and private sector companies. At the end of the last financial year to June 30 2011, the Group generated revenues of £1.3 billion.