New affordable homes and workspace at Tottenham Mews completed

An estate of 23 affordable homes and workspace has been opened at a densely-packed location in Tottenham Mews, after more than three years of noisy construction work was completed on the site of a former NHS clinic.

The six-storey block came about through planning gain from the demolition and redevelopment of the Network Building on the corner of Howland Street and Tottenham Court Road, which has also recently been completed.

Under Camden Council’s planning policy, the gain from the Network Building development should have included at least 62 new homes — of which 27 were required to be a mix of social rent and “intermediate affordable”.

But horse-trading between Camden’s planners and developer Derwent London resulted in only 10 homes at social rent and 13 homes at intermediate rent being approved.

Some public open space and private amenity space should also have been provided at Tottenham Mews but Derwent’s planning consultants argued that the nature of the site “limited options to develop landscaping and open spaces”.

Instead only some of the intermediate affordable homes get some outdoor space, with most of the homes only being provided with “Juliet balconies” — in stark contrast to the Network Building which has a large private rooftop garden.

Consultants DP9 stated on behalf of Derwent that “the proposed development accords in all material respects with the relevant policies and delivers significant benefits”.

Derwent had bought the Tottenham Mews site from Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust in 2018.

As part of the redevelopment it was acquired by Origin Housing, which started in 1924 as St Pancras House Improvement Society, a charitable organisation founded by Father Basil Jellicoe to improve living conditions in nearby Somers Town.

In April this year, Origin and its 9,000 homes across London and Hertfordshire was “integrated” into Places for People Group (PfP).

In a statement for The Fitzrovia News, a spokesperson said: “PfP is thrilled to have completed this fully affordable scheme in the heart of London, bringing a diverse, multi-tenure community together.

“We know how rare it is to deliver a 100 per cent affordable housing project in this location due to the high cost of land, and in partnership with Derwent London we have demonstrated that it can be done, enabling a mixed community to be developed, and giving people easy access to good schools, hospitals, employment opportunities and local amenities.”

The homes are a mix of studios through to three-bed apartments, including two wheelchair accessible homes.

Ten are available at London Affordable Rent starting from around £230 per week and 13 are offered on an intermediate market rent, which is roughly 20 per cent below Fitzrovia’s hugely expensive local market rents.

The 10 homes are in the process of being allocated, taking people off Camden Council’s lengthy housing list while a separate process will offer potential tenants the intermediate rent homes.

In addition to the new homes, around 375 square metres of affordable workspace is available on the ground and basement level.

“Our partners Derwent London are currently securing tenants for the commercial space,” says PfP.

The estate has space for storing 51 cycles and as part of the redevelopment a pedestrian and cycle route is due to link Tottenham Mews with Charlotte Street and Cleveland Street, and will be completed when the neighbouring development at Bedford Passage is finished.

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