Pinsent Masons advises public-private partnership to develop £1.2bn Manydown garden community

The joint venture with developer Urban&Civic and charitable foundation Wellcome Trust, which will deliver the first phase of the new garden community in Hampshire, will incorporate 40% affordable housing, a 250-acre country park, two primary schools alongside land reserved for a potential secondary school, two local centres, businesses and a range of amenities.

The team at Pinsent Masons was led by housing partner Scot Morrison, property partner Helen Robinson and Senior Associate Mona Niayesh.

Commenting on the project, Scot Morrison said: "This initiative will be nothing short of transformational for the area, delivering vibrant community spaces, high quality and affordable homes supported by a wealth of local facilities, businesses and the potential for further growth.

"These are the types of developments that should form the back bone of the UK's response to the housing crisis because they are based on the premise that communities must have access to jobs and amenities as well as housing in order to thrive. The collaboration between local authorities and the private sector supports the development of a sustainable community backed up by the funding and expertise of a major developer."

Manydown is one of the largest residential-led development schemes in the South East. The garden community will be built on 2,000 acres of land in public ownership, and is one of the major projects in the government’s garden communities programme set for delivery. The long-term scheme will be an important part of the region’s economic prosperity, creating thousands of jobs and providing up to 10,000 new homes in the longer term.

Manydown is the latest high profile public-private housing and garden community partnership that the firm has advised on in recent years. Scot Morrison is also leading a team advising Harrow Council on its £2.5 billion regeneration and growth programme in the north-west London Borough.