Grainger plc Regulatory News (GRI)

17 September 2020

Grainger plc

New rental homes by Southall station given the green light

· Proposals by Connected Living London - the long-term partnership between Grainger plc and Transport for London - to deliver 460 new homes for rent have been given the go-ahead by Ealing Council's Planning Committee

· The development is the first of four proposed by Connected Living London currently going through planning

· 40 per cent of the development's new housing will be affordable

· The development, located close to Southall station, will also enhance the area surrounding the site, benefitting the local community

A new development by Southall station has been given the green light by Ealing Council, helping to provide more quality rental housing in the local area.

The proposals, by Connected Living London (CLL) - the formal partnership between Grainger plc and Transport for London (TfL) - have been designed by award-winning architects, Assael Architecture. The scheme will deliver 460 new homes, including 40 per cent affordable housing, across five buildings.

The scheme encompasses a 1.16 acre site that was converted to railway sidings in the mid-20th century and is currently used for storage and associated Elizabeth line works. The homes will be a mixture of one, two and three bedroom properties, providing options for all types of households, with affordable homes offered at a Discounted Market Rent. The development will also incorporate renewable forms of energy through solar panels and air source heat pumps to minimise impact on the local environment.

Located close by to Southall station, the development provides direct access to central London and will also be served by TfL Rail services, which will become the Elizabeth line service once it is open. It will provide more space for walking along Park Avenue and more greenery and street lighting. A new pedestrian crossing on Park Avenue will also be delivered as part of this scheme, making it safer for people to access Southall Park.

Ben Tate, a spokesperson for CLL and Head of Property Development at TfL, said: "It's fantastic to see the first of our sites at Southall get the go-ahead as part of Connected Living London. We can now start delivering quality rental homes that the capital desperately needs and help improve the area for the local community.

"Now more than ever, people are looking for homes that are more than just a place to sleep, and with a range of amenity spaces including outdoor terraces and a residents' gym, we are confident that these new homes will be a fantastic addition to Southall."

Helen Gordon, Chief Executive, Grainger plc, said: "We are delighted to secure our first planning resolution for Connected Living London. This is an exciting and important milestone for our partnership, which over the coming years is set to make a positive difference for renters and communities across London. In Southall we are delivering 460 superbly located homes that locals can afford, all professionally managed by our inhouse team, setting new standards for renting in the area."

With the capital's shortage of quality rental properties and affordable homes, CLL was established last July with an ambition of creating London's leading mixed tenure rental communities, providing excellent service in a place where residents feel secure and are happy to call "home". The scheme at Southall is the first of CLL's schemes to be given the go-ahead at planning committee, having submitted four planning applications since it was set up last July. The other sites, which are spread across London, are:

o Arnos Grove (located next to the Tube station), Enfield

o Montford Place in Kennington (which is currently being used as a construction site for the Northern Line Extension), Lambeth

o Nine Elms (An Over Station Development for Nine Elms station on the Northern Line Extension), Lambeth

Once approved, these would collectively deliver more than 1,200 new rental homes across the city, with each scheme individually delivering 40 per cent affordable housing, alongside industrial and commercial workspace and improvements for the local community.

These first four sites are part of CLL's wider programme that aims to provide the capital with more than 3,000 new homes, designed specifically for those who wish to rent. Alongside the four where planning applications have already been submitted, CLL will soon be submitting its planning application for its scheme at Cockfosters, which looks to provide hundreds of new homes, public squares and better pedestrian and cycling facilities, and it is continuing to shape the opportunity to provide around 1,500 homes at Limmo, a 12-acre site next to Canning Town Tube station that has been used as a works site for the Elizabeth line. Other sites are expected to follow.

ENDS

 For further information contact:

Julie Deighton, Head of Communications, jdeighton@graingerplc.co.uk (020 7940 9604)

Additional Information

· All of CLL's developments have been designed with both the individual site's context and local community in mind. Throughout the past year, CLL has undertaken extensive and meaningful consultation with local communities - receiving more than 2,000 pieces of feedback, having spent more than 110 hours talking to the local community at exhibition events, pop-ups and public consultations with more than 1,000 attendees and sending updates to more than 50,000 people.

· By engaging with the local community and stakeholders, the proposals have been updated throughout the consultation process to reflect feedback and help address local concerns. All proposals have also been designed as sustainable developments that offer a range of benefits for the existing communities. These include new public spaces for the community or better cycling and walking facilities to encourage sustainable travel. The heritage of each site - particularly those located next to listed stations - has also been considered throughout the design process.

· Further details on the other submitted schemes can be found on the website: https://www.connectedlivinglondon.co.uk/

· Early work has already started on Limmo Peninsula to ensure that the site is ready for development and an early period of engagement with the local community and stakeholders was carried out in September last year. The proposals will look to incorporate high quality public open spaces, including a riverside walk that will help connect communities and improved pedestrian and cycling connectivity.

· There is the potential for other sites to be added to CLL's programme in the future.

· Sustainable development is at the heart of CLL's approach. Through its projects, CLL will drive social impact, promote economic development, and exemplify a philosophy of environmental stewardship - not only because it's the right thing to do, but because doing so can drive commercial value. Financial returns, social impact, and environmental sustainability operate hand-in-hand.

· The proposals will be supporting the local economy through the creation of new commercial space. It will also create a variety of employment opportunities, not just through the new commercial spaces, but also throughout construction.

· The proposals are also looking to bring nature into the built environment and encourage a shift to sustainable modes of transport in line with the Mayor's Transport Strategy, such as through planting new trees and greenery, improving pedestrian and cycling facilities, incorporating solar roofs, closing car parks and optimising building performance with respect to energy, carbon, water and waste. By encouraging people to travel by foot, on bike or by public transport, CLL will help improve London's air quality, support people in becoming more active and make the local areas better places to live.

· All properties will also contribute towards London's ambitious target to become zero carbon by 2050, which the Intend to Publish London Plan states can be achieved by increasing energy efficiency and utilising low carbon energy sources. CCL has also actively sought to embed the Home Quality Mark system (the successor to the Code for Sustainable Homes) across its schemes and is targeting to achieve 4 Stars under HQM.