Nile Street, London

Client: Peabody Trust

Nile Street is an innovative, high-density development in the London Borough of Hackney, five minutes’ walk from Hoxton Square and Old Street tube station.Our brief from the clients, Peabody Trust, was to act as project managers and coordinate the purchase of the site before the end of the financial year. We were able to convince the client that the risks were quantifiable and the rewards sufficient to purchase the site unconditionally. We then had three months to secure planning or lose more than £4,000,000 of local authority grant.

By driving the project forward and working closely with architects, Munkenbeck and Marshall, the planners, the Blue Hut Youth Club committee, local residents and Shoreditch Trust, the local NDC delivery vehicle, we were able to achieve a planning consent within this challenging timescale.

The commitment to quality design, the real consultation with local stakeholders and the support of the local authority’s planning and housing departments contributed significantly to achieving these targets. The scheme completed in December 2005 providing 175 homes, a communal courtyard and roof gardens and a youth centre. In addition, a new toddlers’ play ground and ball courts were provided. Of the 175 new homes, 128 are affordable, either for general needs rent, key worker rent or low cost home ownership.

This development shows that mixed-tenure, high-density schemes can provide high-quality accommodation for all tenures, while also providing much needed community benefits to existing residents.

photo by Des Willie