A mixed-use development of 112 new homes at 300 Harrow Road that Willmott Dixon will deliver for Westminster City Council has been awarded planning permission this week.

The development will consist of one, two and three bedroom homes to suit a variety of households with 50% affordable, either social or intermediate rent, allowing a wide range of people the chance to live in the heart of London. The affordable homes will be let to people who live and work locally, helping to address the need for more social and intermediate housing in the area.

Alongside new homes, the mixed-use development will deliver over 1,400 square metres of community facilities including a new community hall, nursery, flexible workspace and canal-side café. The development will also improve the surrounding green space, activating the area and giving residents easy access to Regents Canal.

Willmott Dixon will work with the architect Child Graddon Lewis, with both companies behind Westminster’s award-nominated Dudley House, a development of 197 affordable homes which launched in Paddington Basin last year.

Read the Dudley House story here

The scheme will deliver comfortable, modern homes that are environmentally sustainable. Each home will have an air source heat pump, and residents will benefit from solar panels, rainwater collection, and living roofs, resulting in reduced carbon emissions and overall lower energy costs.

300 Harrow Road will be among the first delivered by Westminster Builds, the council’s wholly owned company established to help deliver the council’s ambitious regeneration and development programme. The affordable homes will be part-funded by the sale of the private homes at 300 Harrow Road, allowing the council to maximise the number of affordable homes for the community.

Cllr Melvyn Caplan, Cabinet Member for Finance, Property and Regeneration and Deputy Leader of Westminster City Council, said “The planning approval for 300 Harrow Road is another important step towards us delivering 1,850 new affordable homes as part of our plan to make Westminster a City for All, where people from all economic backgrounds can live, work and thrive in our city.

“Set against the backdrop of place shaping work in the wider Harrow Road neighbourhood, 300 Harrow Road is an investment in our community. By delivering this new development, we are connecting our residents with the vibrancy and opportunity Westminster has to offer.”

James Felsted, Director at Child Graddon Lewis, said: “Harrow Road is a fantastic illustration of a local authority showing imagination and ambition with existing council land – contributing towards the delivery of Westminster’s strategic vision for a fairer city. The extensive improvements to the wider landscape and public realm capitalise on the canal and provide benefit for the wider community, demonstrating the possibilities of civic-led development. By grasping opportunities beyond the site boundary, new development can positively impact whole neighbourhoods and beyond.”

Chris Tredget, managing director for Willmott Dixon in London and East said: "We're looking forward to getting started on site now that planning permission has been given. Everyone is proud of what a positive impact Dudley House had in providing much needed new homes for people in Westminster and the same team are now focused on doing exactly the same at 300 Harrow Road, which will further stimulate growth in the local economy and bring new jobs, especially during the construction phase when we'll be buying local whenever we can."