When an area is singled out for radical transformation, the time is ripe to invest. ‘Regeneration areas’, as we call them, stand to benefit from significant investment into the future development of the area. A mixture of private and public money is poured into these areas, improving things like infrastructure, high streets, parks and other open spaces – and this is usually accompanied by a number of new housing developments and amenities.
The creation and building of major service or employment hubs also have regenerative effects. Hospitals, shopping centres or the arrival of large companies in newly constructed offices, for example, typically see a huge number of jobs created. These developments have a positive effect on local GDP, rent, and capital growth, as employees seek to live nearby.
Properties acquired prior to the regeneration of an area have the potential to return excellent capital growth and income yields as rents and house prices grow. Even if a regeneration project is well underway, or well-known to the public, investors can still expect superior performance from these areas. This is because the majority of the buyer market is represented by owner-occupiers, who typically buy once these works are completed and the benefits begin for the area’s inhabitants.
Here are some examples of the regeneration areas and properties that we currently offer at Property Partner, including our Amhurst Walk property which is currently funding.
Thamesmead and Plumstead are benefitting from one of the largest redevelopment projects in the country, run by the regeneration agency and housing trust ‘Peabody’ and with support from the Mayor of London. Overall, the areas are set to benefit from £305m in regenerative work.
In April 2014, Peabody took over much of the land in Thamesmead, and their 15-year, £225m regeneration plan for Thamesmead as a ‘garden suburb’ is currently underway. The plan includes proposals for new transport infrastructure, parks and the regeneration of a neglected wildlife reserve in the heart of Thamesmead. Peabody intend to build “350 new homes plus shops, work spaces and community facilities by 2020; and a further 520 homes and new park by 2024.”
Boris Johnson, Mayor of London, has also given the endeavour his backing contributing an extra £80m and announcing that TFL will introduce a new Thames crossing at Thamesmead and Belvedere, expected to open in 2025.
Crossrail will also contribute to the transformation of Thamesmead and Plumstead with nearby Abbey Wood and Woolwich stations expecting the Crossrail trains to arrive in 2018, making commuting into central London much quicker and easier.
View our Thamesmead and Plumstead properties below:
22 Amhurst Walk, 3 bed house
80 Manordene Road, 2 bed house
37 Kentlea road, 2 bed house
19 Philimore close, 1 bed maisonette
20 Philimore close, 1 bed maisonette
12 Kings Highway, 2 bed house
Two large development companies, Development Securities and Cathedral Group, have started work on a major £250m multi-use regeneration project in the heart of Hayes, just 300m from
the station. The site is at The Old Vinyl Factory, a 17-acre manufacturing facility formerly owned by the music company EMI. The scheme was approved in 2013 and is expected to deliver 4,000 jobs, 650 homes and 750,000 sq ft of commercial and leisure space in Hayes by 2022.
The Old Vinyl Factory has also been allocated £7.7m by the Mayor of London to build a high-tech manufacturing incubator focusing on 3D printing technology. The incubator comes with a fund to invest in participating companies and already high-tech companies are now relocating to Hayes including Sonos, a US wireless music systems company, Champ Cargosystems, a global IT firm, and Rackspace, a global internet infrastructure company, who have have moved their international headquarters to a 10-acre site near Hayes & Harlington station.
With Crossrail’s arrival in Hayes the station and town centre are also undergoing regeneration. The council is investing in the area around the station and town centre with improvements including new pavements, brighter street lighting, more trees, seating and cycle racks. The project is due to be completed before Crossrail rolls in, in 2018.
View our Hayes property here.
You can view all regeneration area properties below: