Urban Community Development creates value through the transformation of under-used land into thriving places and communities. Our work is both supporting and benefiting from London’s long-term economic and population growth.
Ebbsfleet Valley is our largest project and outline planning permissions have now been granted for the whole of the 1,659,550sq m project. Further approvals to the masterplans of the major commercial core around the international station and the next residential village, Castle Hill, have been granted allowing the design of individual buildings to be progressed.
We have only limited construction currently underway. In a joint venture with Countryside Properties, we have completed 41 residential units at Springhead Park which are 93% sold, and we have just another 47 units under construction. It is our intention to moderate the roll out of future phases according to the economic climate.
In April we formed a 50:50 joint venture with Places for People and set out our plan to acquire more than 970 hectares of land to the north of Harlow, to help meet much-needed housing and employment in the area. The purchase is subject to the site’s inclusion in the East of England Regional Assembly’s final East of England Plan.
We also entered into a partnership agreement with Defence Estates to promote the development of the former Chattenden Barracks, near Chatham. We will take the lead to secure planning permission, invest in infrastructure and manage subsequent land sales on behalf of Defence Estates who still own the site. The majority of the site will remain in operational use until 2012, after which initial sales of development land will commence. Our expenditure incurred in obtaining planning permission and delivering infrastructure will be reimbursed from sale receipts.
