Brent Council has selected Countryside Partnerships, the UK’s leading mixed-tenure developer with 45 years of placemaking experience, to deliver over 200 new homes - which includes 95 affordable homes for existing South Kilburn residents.
The site’s existing buildings (Neville House, Winterleys, 113-128 Carlton House and Carlton Hall) will be replaced with brand new, state-of-the-art homes. The new scheme prioritises social housing and will deliver the first homes by Summer 2025 to accommodate existing South Kilburn residents.
Countryside Partnerships’ appointment by Brent Council builds on the organisations’ shared commitment to delivering cohesive, long-lasting impacts for local residents, providing much-needed housing and, importantly, positive socio-economic value for the local community.
Countryside Partnerships is proposing an increase in tree planting to improve biodiversity and urban greening, EV charging points, Photovoltatics to roof spaces, and importantly, the scheme is projected to achieve a 60% saving on CO2 beyond building regulations requirements which is an improvement on the 35% London Plan baseline requirement. Countryside Partnerships will also be establishing a Tech take back scheme to support recycling of tech equipment, with a plan to establish a larger, borough-wide approach in collaboration with Brent to support the council’s targets in reducing waste.
Over the last year, Countryside Partnerships has successfully delivered a number of community projects in South Kilburn, including:
Box Up Crime: providing an annual programme in partnership with Box Up Crime of boxing classes and mentoring support to the young residents of Brent. By providing a free pop-up gym with boxing classes, mentoring and creative activities, this valuable programme targets vulnerable Children and Young People considered to be at risk of gang membership and crime. Through early intervention and engagement with Box Up Crime, at risk individuals are supported before statutory service involvement is needed.
Class of Your Own: partnering with Class of Your Own in order to support the delivery of their three-year ‘Design, Engineer, Construct’ (DEC) specialist teacher training curriculum at Queens Park Community School. The DEC programme aims to upskill classroom teachers so that they are able to integrate learning in the built environment into the core school curriculum – enabling students to develop their understanding and knowledge of the built environment and the raft of potential future careers within the sector.
‘Mini Mappers’ programme: in partnership with educational charity Urbanwise London, pupils from Carlton Vale infant school were taught invaluable navigation and geographical skills in their local surroundings to maximise enjoyment of their time outdoors
‘Dr Bike’: in partnership with Cycletastic and Dr Bike, Countryside Partnerships hosted a half-day workshop during the summer for local residents to learn how to fix their bikes, encouraging them to cycle more – a benefit for both their physical and mental health, as well as helping to reduce travel costs
‘Researcher in Residence’ programme: in partnership with the London School of Economics, Countryside Partnerships invited females aged 13-27 in Brent to come together for a mapping workshop to discuss the improvement in the design and provision of public space in the borough. This is one of many consultation programmes with young women to be rolled out in London boroughs over the next 12 months
The Countryside Partnerships approach will be further enhanced with the addition of this scheme, seeing provision for social and economic impact more than double, including commitments to local jobs, local procurement, and school engagement programmes.
Works commenced on site in spring 2023, with demolition programmed to commence in summer 2023.
Stephen Teagle, Chief Executive, Countryside Partnerships, said: “Being appointed for the delivery of another regeneration scheme in South Kilburn is a fantastic opportunity to build on the knowledge and best practice we have developed with Brent Council as part of our housing and social impact delivery for North West Quarter. As a partnerships-based business, we are so pleased to have been appointed as preferred bidder for this scheme, enabling us to continue to deliver places people love and to maximise the positive, long-term impacts we are able to bring to the local community.”
Cllr Shama Tatler, Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Planning and Growth at Brent Council, said:
"We’re now almost halfway through our 15-year regeneration programme for South Kilburn and can’t wait to get started on the next phase with Countryside Partnerships. Right across the country local authorities are grappling with spiralling inflation and building costs, but despite the challenges, we are really delighted to be able to deliver this brilliant scheme for residents. This project will create more than 200 much-needed new homes, almost half of which will be for existing South Kilburn residents. Not only will local families be given the keys to safe and secure homes, they will also enjoy a healthier environment, with more greenery and trees on their doorstep and a revamped local park.”
