Vistry picked to build 284 homes on GLA-owned hospital site after four-year search

The Greater London Authority (GLA) has announced that housebuilder Vistry Group and housing association Hyde Group have been picked to deliver a 284-home scheme in Enfield.

The site, which previously housed testing facilities, a car park and offices for North Middlesex University Hospital, was purchased by the GLA in 2019 from Department of Education agency LocatED after plans for a new school fell through.

In December 2020, City Hall began the search for a development partner to build what was then expected to be around 220 homes on the site using modern methods of construction.

After this tender failed due to delays caused when the GLA purchased an adjacent parcel of Land from the NHS Trust in 2022, it relaunched the bidding process in 2023.

Now confirmed, the 100% affordable scheme located in Upper Edmonton will designate half the homes for social rent and the rest for shared ownership.

The energy efficient housing will comprise one- to four-bedroom low-rise and terraced properties with triple glazing, enhanced ventilation and insulation.

They will also be connected to Enfield’s new borough-wide energy network, which will provide low-carbon heat directly to the homes.

A new nursery, community café, 3,000 sqm of office space and a new park are also included in the plans, which Andy Hulme, Hyde’s chief executive, said would “benefit key workers at North Middlesex University Hospital and the wider Enfield community.”

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Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, said: “I’m determined to do everything in my power to make housing more affordable and sustainable for Londoners, which is why I’m partnering with Vistry Group to deliver 284 new homes at North Middlesex University Hospital – a 100 per cent genuinely affordable housing scheme.

“Tackling housing pressures in the capital and delivering affordable new homes for Londoners remains a top priority for me as we work together to build a better, fairer London for everyone.”

The GLA has confirmed it will soon submit planning proposals for the scheme following the appointment of Vistry as delivery partner.

It has a target of delivering between 23,900 and 27,200 affordable homes by March 2026 under the Homes for Londoners: Affordable Homes Programme 2021-2026.