The first residential apartments arrived in October at The Mall redevelopment in Walthamstow, marking a landmark moment in the project.

Members of Waltham Forest Council and a selection of local and trade journalists were taken on a tour of the first fitted-out volumetric apartments after they were installed on site last month. There was also an opportunity to hear from Long Harbour and its primary contractor, Tide Construction, who discussed the redevelopment’s sustainability, building safety credentials and the project’s progress to date.

Located on Selborne Road and adjacent to the 17&Central shopping centre, the redevelopment is due for completion in the first half of 2025.

The project is being delivered by Tide using its Vision volumetric system and will become the first volumetric housing scheme in the London Borough of Waltham Forest once it is completed. Tide’s Vision volumetric system allows both Long Harbour and Tide to fulfil the programme faster, safer and more sustainably than using traditional methods of construction. Volumetric construction has also been shown to significantly reduce the carbon emissions associated with construction as it minimises materials brought to site, vehicle movements, waste, energy and is a more efficient process.

Once completed, the residential redevelopment at The Mall will consist of 495 studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments, 99 of which will be available at Discount Market Rent (DMR). Long Harbour has also confirmed that subject to agreement with the Local Authority local residents and key workers from across Waltham Forest will be given priority access to the DMR apartments at the redevelopment once they’re marketed. All units are tenure blind and delivered to the same high-quality specification. There will be 25,000 sqft of amenity for all residents to use, which will include gym facilities, yoga room, co-working, private dining and lounge facilities. Units will be available to reserve towards the end of 2024.

The wider redevelopment is expected to bring £200 million of investment to the town centre, create 350 permanent retail jobs, and enable the construction of step-free access to Walthamstow Central underground station. Other benefits include a redesigned town square with more trees and a new purpose-built children’s playground.

Long Harbour is set to announce the first recipients of funding from a new Community Fund in the coming weeks. The Community Fund will be run by Groundwork and distribute funds amongst local community groups in the vicinity of Phase 1 of the redevelopment that aligns with Long Harbour and Waltham Forest Council’s priority areas of focus.

To date, Long Harbour and its contractors have already been supporting various initiatives in the community, contributing to renovation and repair work at the Rukhsana Khan Foundation, South Grove Primary School and the charity CREST at the Harmony Hall community centre.

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Rebecca Taylor, Managing Director (Multifamily) at Long Harbour, said:

“The first volumetric homes arriving on site is a major milestone in the residential redevelopment at The Mall. After acquiring the site from Capital & Regional in July 2022, a lot of work has gone into getting the project to where it is now. While there’s still a long way to go, we’re excited that our own contribution to the vibrant and dynamic community that is Walthamstow is making steady progress.

“We remain committed to our ambition of working in lockstep with the local community and to deliver homes here at a time when they’re needed most.”

Christy Hayes, CEO at Tide Construction, said:

“We are proud to be working with Long Harbour and Walthamstow Forest Council to provide high-quality housing at The Mall using our accredited offsite volumetric technology. Our innovative approach allows us to deliver homes in this community efficiently and at speed by cutting the construction time by up to 50%.

“The construction of The Mall is making significant progress, with the first volumetric homes being installed on site. This is an important milestone which demonstrates our commitment to deliver sustainable homes for UK communities.”