Peabody and Mount Anvil

NLA Awards Shortlist 2025 - Partnership of the Year

The Verdean is a £522m joint venture development by Peabody and Mount Anvil. Having originally submitted a masterplan for the transformation of the Friary Park estate envisioning 990 units, the JV recently secured permission on a third planning application to now deliver 1,345 much-needed homes. This includes 470 affordable units (237 social rent, 78 London Affordable Rent and 140 shared ownership). The site will now contribute 32% of the council's annual housing target - up 20% from previous plans.

The Verdean represents a sixfold increase in housing provision compared with the 225 homes comprising the previous estate. Every former resident has been given the option of a home on the redeveloped site, with 51 rehoused during construction to date. The JV front-loaded social housing into phase one so these residents could move in first, and employed a comprehensive resident engagement strategy from the outset. This included feedback forums and the creation of a Resident Steering Group, with a group member even speaking in support of the application at committee. The JV hosted more than 400 community events, including social events celebrating its diverse cultural heritage. The close ties forged throughout were crucial in unlocking additional housing provision and amenities.

In developing the third planning application, the JV held four consultation workshops followed by an exhibition to gauge resident opinion. Consequently, the team reassessed building sizes, reconfigured rooftops and reduced vehicle routes to increase amenity provision by 1,675 sqm. The site will now provide nearly 3,000 sqm more amenity space than the previous estate.

Work on The Verdean is underpinned by an innovative partnership with social housing charity HACT, resulting in social value forecasts being integrated into the project. These provide baselines for comparison with previous regenerations to identify potential improvements, guiding the JV's efforts to embed social value for future generations.