Plans for rental homes next to Cockfosters Tube station given go-ahead

• Scheme is the fourth by Connected Living London to be approved
• Development will be located next to Cockfosters Tube station allowing quick and easy access to Central London
• Alongside new homes, the scheme will also provide around 4,200 sqm of publicly accessible open space, public cycle parking and new commercial space

Connected Living London (CLL) - the formal partnership between Grainger plc and Transport for London (TfL) - has been given the green light by Enfield Council to bring forward its new development by Cockfosters London Underground station, subject to conditions. 

The 1.36 hectare development will deliver 351 new rental homes, including 40 per cent affordable housing, commercial space, improvements to the public realm, and new operational space for TfL. The new homes will be delivered across four buildings and will be a mixture of one, two and three-bedroom properties, providing options for all types of households. It has been designed by Hawkins\Brown, Mae Architects and JCLA Landscape Architects.

The affordable homes will be provided at a discount to open market rates for rent and all residents will equally benefit from a range of on-site amenities, such as the residents' lounge, gym and dedicated onsite Resident Services team.

Sustainability is a core focus throughout the plans and the development intends to optimise building performance with respect to energy, carbon, water and waste. It will also include solar panels, wildlife-friendly landscaping, and will lead to more than 70 additional trees being planted across the development. The designs also enhance public access to Trent Park and the London Outer Orbital Path and have been designed to provide around 4,200 sqm of publicly accessible open space for both the local community and residents, with the new trees and greenery replacing much of the current hard surface.

The development encourages sustainable transport through excellent public transport connections, such as the Piccadilly line and the multiple bus routes that serve the Grade II listed Cockfosters Tube station, which became the 80th London Underground station to become step-free in October 2020. A new cycle hub with 60 spaces for the local community, as well as improvements to the existing cycle access and pavements, will also encourage walking and cycling. The scheme has also been designed to deliver a new dedicated pick-up/drop-off area, comprised of seven short stay parking spaces, and to re-provide 47 publicly accessible car parking spaces including 12 blue badge parking spaces to support the local area. 

While some of the publicly accessible car parking is being re-provided, the new homes themselves have been designed to be effectively car-free, with the exception of blue badge parking for residents and a car club space. This will help to improve air quality in London in line with the Mayor's Transport Strategy.

Ben Tate, a spokesperson for CLL and Head of Property Development at TfL, said:

'We're really pleased to have been given the go-ahead for our proposed development by Cockfosters Tube station, building on the success of our CLL schemes in Southall, Nine Elms and north Lambeth.

'This scheme has been designed to provide not only the new and affordable homes that are urgently needed in the borough and across London, but also create new areas of open space and play space that can be enjoyed by the local community and residents alike and re-provide car parking facilities to support the local area. It will contribute around £4.5 million to help improve local infrastructure and services.'

Mike Keaveney, Director of Land and Development at Grainger plc, said:

'This is another great milestone for our CLL joint venture, and one that will deliver a significant number of professionally managed, well located, quality homes for the local area. We look forward to progressing this development and delivering a scheme that not only benefits our residents, but the wider community too.'

Adrian Day, on behalf of Better Streets for Enfield, said:

'We are pleased that the development by Cockfosters Tube station has been approved. Reducing the amount of space devoted to car parking encourages active travel and use of public transport, which is vital for climate change goals, and building here means less Green Belt land is needed for housing.' 

As well as new homes and public space, the development will provide around 130 jobs over the course of construction, helping to support the local vibrant economy and high street, along with the creation of a new commercial space. The households in the new homes delivered as part of the proposed development will also generate approximately £5.3 million per year in additional spending, a proportion of which would be captured by local business and services.

With the capital's shortage of quality rental properties and affordable homes, CLL was established in July 2019 with an ambition of creating London's leading mixed tenure rental communities, providing excellent service in a place where residents feel secure and at home.

The development at Cockfosters is the fourth of CLL's schemes to be given the go-ahead at planning committee. It follows successful outcomes for its applications in September 2020 to deliver 460 new rental homes in Southall, in December 2020 to deliver 139 new rental homes in north Lambeth and in April 2021 to deliver 479 new rental homes above and around the new Nine Elms Tube station in Lambeth. Collectively, these four schemes will deliver more than 1,400 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.

Notes to editors:

• Further details on this, and other Connected Living London schemes, can be found on the website: https://www.connectedlivinglondon.co.uk/
• All of CLL's developments have been designed with both the individual site's context and local community in mind. Across its portfolio, 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.
• Following discussions during the planning process, car parking spaces for London Underground staff will now be provided elsewhere.
• 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.
• TfL has been awarded the top 'five star' rating for the second year in a row by GRESB, one of the world's leading environmental, social and governance benchmarks for real estate and infrastructure investments across the world. With an overall score of 97/100, TfL was ranked first in Europe among diversified development companies and achieved regional sector leader status. The outstanding score was in part made possible by working with its development partners, such as Grainger, who share the approach of putting sustainability at the heart of development.
• All properties will also contribute towards London's ambitious target to become a carbon neutral city by 2030 by increasing energy efficiency and utilising low carbon energy sources. CLL 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.