Taylor Wimpey and L&Q chosen to build Chobham Manor, says LLDC

The first neighbourhood, Chobham Manor, is planned to include a range of London’s "traditional family neighbourhoods" of terraced and mews houses, which would be set within tree-lined avenues. Plans also include and a new health centre, nurseries and community spaces.

Chobham Manor will be situated between the Athletes’ Village and the Lee Valley VeloPark and is planned to address the local need for larger homes, with more than 75% of the 870 homes offering three bedroom or more "family housing", the LLDC said. 

Of the homes, 28% would be made available for affordable housing and would be aimed at local people who would be targeted through local authorities and housing associations. The neighbourhood is also planned to reuse the infrastructure built for London 2012 Games, including the heating and telecoms networks, and fibre optic broadband.

A Community Land Trust (CLT) could be part of the affordable housing offer giving a non-profit community-based organisation the opportunity to provide permanently affordable homes for long-term community benefit, said LLDC.

A CLT is a non-profit, community-based organisation run by volunteers that develops housing or other assets at permanently affordable levels for long-term community benefit. It does this by separating the value of the building from the land that it stands on and, in the case of shared-equity homes, fixing the resale percentage, thereby enabling occupiers to pay for the use of buildings and services at prices they can afford.

The value of land, subsidies, planning gain and other equity benefits are permanently locked in by the CLT who holds the asset in trust for long-term community benefit.

The LLDC is aiming for 35% of all the homes it builds across its five proposed neighbourhood to be made available for affordable housing, which is in line with the Mayor of London's 'London Plan'.

Last month, the LLDC secured outline planning approval to build 6,800 homes across five new neighbourhoods, including Chobham Manor, which are planned to be built over the next 20 years.

Construction work on Chobham Manor is planned to begin in October, when the LLDC takes operational control of the Olympic Park. It is hoped that the homes will be ready for residents by the end of 2014.

“Chobham Manor will see us work with LLDC and L&Q to create a brand new community, providing east London with much needed family homes, facilities and supporting infrastructure. Built to the highest quality with exemplar design, the development is a high profile opportunity to provide new homes for Londoners and meeting the needs of local people both now and into the future will be key," said Pete Redfern, group chief executive of Taylor Wimpey plc.

“Engaging with them to create a truly sustainable community is at the heart of our approach and we will work closely with all stakeholders to ensure that we deliver a development of which we and Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park’s residents can all be proud,” he said.