The Collective has received a resolution to grant planning permission from the London Legacy Development Corporation to transform an unused commercial site on Stratford High Street, into a new public destination for the local community. The 22-storey scheme will feature short-stay co-living rooms, a community and events hub as well as affordable workspace for small businesses and local entrepreneurs. Plans for The Collective Stratford were developed following extensive engagement with local businesses and community organisations to ensure the scheme meets their needs and is well integrated into the local area.
The Collective Stratford will deliver:
- 287 short-stay co-living rooms with a shared cinema, restaurant, gym and outdoor terraces
- 7,700 sq ft of workspace including 3,450 sq ft of co-working space which will be let at 50% affordable rent
- Community space for local residents, businesses and charities
- A Community Investment Programme for local partners to use the events and employment facilities free of charge
- Creation of 155 jobs through the new hotel and employment space
Designed by London-based firm PLP Architecture, The Collective Stratford will comprise 287 short-stay co-living rooms where members can stay one night up to a few months and have exclusive access to shared amenities such as a cinema, gym and terrace with panoramic views across London. The project will support local businesses with an estimated £10 million of extra spending from members and guests as part of a wider vision for Stratford to be a community, culture and enterprise hub that will attract dynamic and creative visitors to the area.
The Collective Stratford will also offer an array of much-needed community space for local residents, charities and business with an art hub to showcase the work of local talent and host a variety of weekly cultural events. Small businesses and local entrepreneurs will have access to over 7,700 sq ft of office space including flexible co-working space of which 3,450 sq ft will be let at 50% affordable rent levels for a 25-year period. This is provided to respond to local demand from SMEs, creatives and start-up businesses.
The project will be centred around 7,100 sq ft of public realm and green space. The Collective will contribute £650,000 towards the surrounding public realm including improvements to Stratford Station and local biodiversity with the clearing and landscaping of nearby Channelsea River.
At Stratford, The Collective has launched a Community Investment Programme (CIP) involving partnerships with local groups and charities to increase their outreach and social impact. The Collective will offer CIP partners a minimum of 10 hours per week to use the employment and events facilities in the new Stratford High Street scheme free of charge as well as access to at least three of the events organised by The Collective each week. The CIP partners will also be offered free use of the workspace and desks on a programmed basis. The employment space is set to deliver 60 associated jobs alongside the 95 new jobs available within the hotel, which is a significant uplift on a currently empty site.
James Penfold, Global Planning and Communications Director at The Collective, said: “We’re really excited to move ahead with creating a new cultural destination at The Collective Stratford, which will have a truly symbiotic relationship with the surrounding neighbourhood – a place not only to live and work but that will also deliver a community hub and much-needed creative facilities for local talent. We’ve spent a lot of time in active dialogue with the community and as a direct result we’re proud to launch our ‘Community Investment Programme’, which will identify, fund and provide free use of our spaces for local charitable and creative enterprises. This is just one of the ways we endeavour to effect a long-term positive impact in every community we enter.”
Andrei Martin, Partner at PLP Architecture, said: “Our design for The Collective Stratford laminates work, cultural, social and accommodation spaces within a hybrid typology. Complementary uses and collaborative spaces supplement a compact arrangement of private living quarters so that working, living, creating, exchanging, socialising and entertaining all occur within a formal arrangement that operates more as a vertical neighbourhood than an individual building.”
The Collective will develop, manage and operate the scheme. Construction of the project is expected to commence at the end of 2020, with completion due in 2023.
Following the approval of The Collective Stratford, The Collective has now secured planning consent for five purpose-designed co-living schemes in London already this year, as well as a further approval in Chicago in the United States.