Transport for London (TfL) has announced a new partnership with property developer Apartments for London (AfL) to deliver high quality, affordable homes across a number of sites in the capital.
The agreement will see Apartments for London create homes over car parks and other available sites on TfL land. AfL is a specialist residential developer seeking to utilise precision-manufactured modular construction and is able to build on challenging sites that may not otherwise have come forward for development, facilitating the creation of new homes quickly and efficiently, with most ready for occupation within 12 months following consent of full planning permission. Planning applications for the first three developments, with the potential for around 450 affordable homes, are expected to be submitted later this year.
Graeme Craig, Director of Commercial Development at TfL, said:
“This partnership helps us provide affordable homes that London desperately needs, while generating vital revenue to reinvest in the transport network. Apartments for London offers modern, precision-manufactured homes, and working with such innovative partners we can develop sites that would not otherwise have come forward and deliver homes at a considerably quicker pace than is offered through traditional construction.”
Johnny Goldsmith, CEO of Apartments for London, said:
“We launched Apartments for London with the belief that we could approach things differently and create a fairer, more responsive housing market for young professionals and key workers who are fundamental to London’s continued presence on the global stage. By looking at housing with a more strategic mindset and seeking public sector partnerships, this is the first important step in our journey.”
The TfL partnership with AfL is one of many announced in recent months. TfL is leading the way on delivering homes on public sector land, with plans in place to build over 10,000 homes on its own portfolio across London. Since May 2016, half of all homes that TfL has brought forward are affordable. As well as providing homes, TfL sites are opening up new spaces, creating thousands of jobs and delivering improvements to the transport network, such as step-free access.