Unanimous consent granted for Hawkins\Brown co-living scheme in Oval
Last week, the London Borough of Lambeth’s Planning Applications Committee unanimously resolved to grant consent to Espalier Ventures’ new co-living development at 68–86 Clapham Road, Oval.
The proposals will transform a site formerly occupied by a vehicle hire centre and car park into a mixed-use development providing 134 purpose-built shared living studios, four new homes and a new further education facility.
The project sets a new benchmark for the quality of co-living in London, with shared amenity provision that goes beyond the GLA’s guidance for Large-Scale Purpose-Built Shared Living in multiple ways. Shared spaces, including a lounge, generous cooking and dining facilities, cinema room, and music studio, are organised around a landscaped courtyard and lower-level sunken garden, creating a generous communal heart to the scheme.
The consultation process has been a really important part of developing the scheme, so it was particularly encouraging to receive support from local residents as the proposals came forward. We’ve worked hard to create a building that responds carefully to its setting while being ambitious about the quality of shared living it provides. The courtyard and sunken garden are central to that idea, creating a generous shared environment that we hope will set a new benchmark for co-living in London.
Located within the St Mark’s Conservation Area, the development will repair the existing gap in the Clapham Road streetscape and respond to the scale, rhythm and material character of the surrounding terraces. New planting, landscaped external spaces and blue-green roofs will also introduce substantial greening to what is currently a predominantly hard-surfaced site.
The proposals also include 382sqm of further education space at ground-floor level, extending the benefits of the development beyond its residents and creating opportunities for education and skills provision within the local community.
We’re delighted to have secured unanimous consent for Clapham Road and to be bringing forward a scheme that sets a high standard for shared living in London. The proposals combine high-quality homes and shared spaces with new education provision and a sensitive response to this important part of Oval.
