The property giant is preparing to start on site from late 2026 across a trio of major residential-led projects that will deliver more than 6,000 homes.

At Finchley Road in north London, enabling works and demolition have already been completed for the first phase of a consented 1,800-home scheme. Detailed planning is in place for the first 600 homes, with a variation decision expected later this year.

Landsec’s first major urban housing scheme in London at the O2 centre strip site in Finchley

In Manchester, Landsec has restructured its agreement with JV partners at the Mayfield site to unlock the potential for around 1,700 homes. A decision on detailed plans for the first 879 units is also expected in the second half of 2025.

The third key site is in Lewisham, south-east London, where a masterplan covering up to 2,800 homes – including student and co-living accommodation – is awaiting planning sign-off.

Landsec aims to recycle £3bn of capital out of offices and non-core assets to fund the residential push and a further £1bn of retail acquisitions.

Chief executive Mark Allan said: “Our capital allocation decisions from here are about ensuring that the growth outlook for our portfolio in 3-5 years’ time is as positive as it is for our current portfolio today.

“That is why we have set out a clear plan to increase investment in major retail by a further £1bn and establish a £2bn+ residential platform by 2030, to be funded by rotating £3bn of capital out of offices.”

The firm expects gross yields on housing schemes of around 6.5%, with net yields of 4.8–5.5%.

Meanwhile, Landsec has committed £600m to top-tier retail assets including Liverpool ONE and Bluewater over the past year and is targeting another £1bn of investment in prime shopping destinations where yields are currently hitting 7–8%.

The revised scheme for Ilderton Road in Southwark ramps up affordable housing by 55% to 186 social rent units and boosts the co-living element from 605 to 865 homes.

Designed by architect tp bennett, the four-block development will transform a vacant brownfield site with a mix of high-density housing and upgraded public realm, including a revamped central pocket park.

Construction is due to start this year using Tide’s offsite manufacturing arm Vision Volumetric, with completion set for 2027.

The modular build will allow the scheme to go up 50% faster than traditional methods while cutting embodied carbon.

Red brick façades nod to Bermondsey’s industrial heritage

Helen McManus, head of planning at Tide, said the scheme showed how “volumetric construction can deliver more affordable housing for local authorities in a faster, sustainable, high-quality and efficient way”.

The scheme adds to Tide’s growing co-living portfolio, including Enclave: Croydon – the UK’s largest operational co-living development – and The Castle in Acton, which is nearing completion after an 18-month build.

The scheme at 7 Brannan Street will deliver 912 bedrooms and is the latest move to diversify the growing residential community at the Docklands district.

Designed by Howells, the tower will feature communal and leisure spaces at ground, mezzanine, ninth and roof levels. Plans also include new ground floor retail and two waterside public gardens.

The project was rejected by Tower Hamlets Council in November last year but was later called in by the mayor’s office, which has now given it the go-ahead.

Tom Venner, chief development officer at Canary Wharf Group, said: “7 Brannan Street will be a fantastic addition to the diverse range of residential offerings at Canary Wharf.”

He added the scheme would help meet demand for student housing in a location offering access to green spaces and strong transport links.

Canary Wharf is already home to more than 3,500 residents and education providers including the UCL School of Management at One Canada Square. The new tower will bring students into the heart of a district long known for finance but now repositioned as a vibrant place to live, work and study.

The scheme, known as the Assemblies, will transform a 1950s City office block into 277 co-living homes aimed at creative and business communities in East London and the Square Mile.

Designed by Morris+Company, the project will retain the building’s structure, slashing embodied carbon by 65% against the Greater London Assembly benchmark.

The project features an extension to the building’s rooftop and rear and the addition of an upgraded high-performing façade.

Existing space will be increased from around 6,900 sq m to 10.400 sq m.

A circular economy approach will also be used in the strip-out, with reused materials and high-recycled-content components helping cut waste and emissions.

Work is expected to start on the conversion in 2026. Max Fordham is supporting the design as M&E consultant with London Structures Lab providing structural engineering.

Assemblies is HUB’s second ultra-urban adaptive reuse scheme in the City following Cornerstone at 45 Beech Street near the Barbican.

The N16 Stratford scheme is being developed in partnership with its student business HG Living and M&G Real Estate.

Constructed over two blocks reaching 10 and 18 storeys, the project will also include over 1,500 sq m of amenity space for students, including roof terraces and courtyards.

Work on the project is expected to start this year, subject to Building Safety Regulator gateway 2 approval.

HG Construction will self-deliver key elements of the build process, securing programme and quality benefits.

Adam Quinn, CEO of HG Construction, said: “As we continue to navigate the ever-changing construction market, we are learning to adapt as an industry.

“Working in partnership as funder, developer and contractor has enabled us to overcome early challenges to successfully secure this scheme.

“We are well underway with preparing the BSR submission and we look forward to making a meaningful start on construction towards the end of year in preparation for receiving students in the 2028/2029 academic year, and to working collaboratively with M&G Real Estate as the scheme progresses.”

The controversial scheme, which will see the demolition of a popular pop-up food market, scraped through Southwark’s planning committee in the face of local opposition.

Designed by architect Maccreanor Lavington, two of the four blocks will be landmarks in the area, rising to 38 and 44 storeys respectively.

The affordable housing content consisists of 230 homes in the form of social rent and shared ownership tenures, which is 35% by habitable rooms.

The bulk of the Borough Triangle site bounded by Newington Causeway, Borough Road and a railway line

Demolition and construction phases are expected to take nine years, starting in 2026 and finishing in 2034.

The full construction cost of the project is estimated at just over £600m.

The professional team used by Berkeley includes M&E engineer L&P Group, structural engineer Walsh and facades consultant Total Facade Solutions.

Councillor Helen Dennis, cabinet member for new homes and sustainable development, said: “We urgently need more affordable homes for local people and despite the many complexities around this site, I am pleased we have secured a policy compliant affordable housing offer – at 35% affordable including 25% social rent homes.

“That will deliver 153 homes for Southwark families on the housing waiting list which are desperately needed.

“The development will also deliver a 5,000 sq ft new community centre earmarked for the Latin American community and a new home for Mercato Metropolitano.”

The developer aims to retain and re-use the existing 1960s building core and foundations at its Regent’s Place site, while adding new low carbon structures to create a new-look 31-storey building with bigger floor-plates.

Lendlease was involved in pre-construction planning work on the new tower, including designing the outline demolition and construction approach, although the appointment of a main contractor is yet to be announced.

David Lockyer, Head of Development at British Land, said: “We are delighted to receive planning consent for this incredible scheme – the first West End tower in a generation, and likely to be the last.

“The tower is ideally located at our Regent’s Place campus, where the Knowledge Quarter meets the West End, and where businesses can benefit from the great concentration of academic and research institutions between Harley Street and King’s Cross.”

The developer has worked closely with the council and Historic England to unlock the hugely complex 23-acre brownfield site, which will see a £72m investment in the temporary dismantling, restoration and re-erection of the listed gasholders.

Seven gasholder frames will contain buildings of up to 10-storeys, a further six new buildings will surround these, rising to 15-20 storeys and echoing the cylindrical designs.

The regeneration programme is forecast to create over 2,800 on-site jobs during construction, 30,000 sq ft of new commercial space and will make a £4.4m contribution towards local skills and employment programmes.

Structural steel engineering specialists Craddys and Shepley was closely involved in drawing up plans to reuse the cast iron gas holder structures, built between 1870 and 1882 for a cost of £300,000.

Both firms were previously involved in the project to dismantle, refurbish and re-erect the Gasholder No.8 guide frame at Kings Cross as well as the refurbishment and re-erection of the Kings Cross Triplets Gasholders.

St William submitted a hybrid planning application for the site, which also include the remains of two gas holders destroyed by the Luftwaffe in the second World War.

The second damaged gasholder will be turned into a community space covered with one of the gas holder cylinder iron frames.

Planned community area framed with iron frame from one of the old gasholder tanks