Following a year-long procurement process, Lewisham Council has appointed The Hill Group as its long-term strategic partner for up to £1.5bn of construction delivery in the south London borough.
Lewisham has more than 10,000 households on the housing register and 2,450 households living in temporary accommodation and the partnership has been designed to help accelerate delivery of the much-needed new homes and regeneration projects across the borough over the next 10 years, with the potential to extend for a further five years.
Rather than appointing a different developer for every project, the council will work directly with Hill over the long term, helping bring forward new homes and projects more quickly and consistently, while retaining greater control over quality, affordability, sustainability and delivery timescales.
As well as delivering new homes, Hill is committed to creating new local jobs, skills training and education opportunities as well as investment in the community, ensuring local people benefit from development in their neighbourhoods.
For some projects, the council will develop and own the affordable homes, while in others, Hill will invest in the development and the council will be given first choice to buy the affordable homes.
The first projects as part of the partnership are already underway and include Thomas’ Lane Yard in Catford, which is delivering 113 affordable homes, 39 homes for social rent and 74 shared ownership homes, and Achilles Street Estate Regeneration in New Cross, with 278 new homes of which 122 homes will be for social rent. This project provides a minimum of 62% affordable homes, with the first two phases providing 149 homes, all affordable.
Andy Hill OBE, founder and chief executive of The Hill Group, said: “We are delighted to have been selected by Lewisham Council as its Strategic Development Partner and look forward to working together to help deliver the borough’s ambitious housing and regeneration programme.
“What makes this partnership particularly important is the opportunity to combine our expertise in regeneration, placemaking and delivery with the council’s vision for the future of Lewisham. Long-term partnerships such as this create the certainty and alignment needed to unlock technically complex sites, enable more efficient delivery and ensure developments genuinely reflect the needs of local communities.
“Our track record has been built on successful partnerships with local authorities and housing providers across London and the South East, and we are excited to bring that experience to Lewisham as we begin work on Thomas’ Lane Yard, Achilles Street and future projects across the borough.”
Councillor Daniel Dream, cabinet member for inclusive regeneration, planning and housing delivery, said: “We need to build the homes our community needs faster. This partnership cuts red tape and gives the Council greater control over quality, affordability and delivery. We are looking forward to working with The Hill Group, an award-winning housebuilder with a proven track record, to deliver the homes, jobs and investment our community needs over the next decade.”
Photo: Cllr Daniel Dream, cabinet member for inclusive regeneration, planning and housing delivery, Cain Peters, regional managing director at The Hill Group, and Liam Shrivastava, Mayor of Lewisham.
