ELMGROVE MAKES THE POINT 

The developers of an ambitious high rise social housing development have been praised for their courage and conviction in overcoming difficulties that stood in the way of their vision.

Housing and regeneration group, LHA-ASRA not only pressed ahead with the 20 storey tower in Greenwich, on the site of a former nursing home opposite Plumstead rail station, but the contractors succeeded in bringing in the £25 million project two months ahead of schedule.

Elmgrove Point is a distinctive landmark building constructed for the group, whose determination in seeing the project through drew praise from architect Daria Wong, a partner in Alan Camp Architects, who was involved in the scheme from the early stages of design and planning.

She said: “LHA-ASRA has been fantastic. For a social landlord to be building a tall, high-quality scheme like this is a very confident development to undertake.”

The project - the latest in a string of blue chip niche developments which have delivered striking, well-designed, sustainable accommodation for LHA-ASRA's customers - evolved slowly as it was a complicated and major investment.

But it has resulted in a scheme with high visual impact that William Cornall, group director of development and regeneration, believes will appeal not just to the affordable rent market, but also to young professionals moving up the housing ladder.

“Ultimately it's a resounding vote of confidence for Plumstead,” said Mr Cornall. “We are an ambitious and growing organisation, as I think people can see from the scale and design of this project, and have a growing reputation for design excellence.

"In addition, we are willing to innovate and take a different approach of this development, which is why we only work with the best architects, consultants and construction companies - organisations with the skills to match our vision.”

Elmgrove Point encountered a number of major obstacles between planning and completion - including a lengthy setback when contractors moved on site and discovered they had to contend with two 3.5 metre sewers lying below the surface.

Progress slowed significantly while permission was obtained from the water authority to allow work to start.

Construction finally began on the project, which is providing 119 high quality affordable homes for local people, in 2007.

Elmgrove Point was due to be completed in August this year, but the success of the build programme saw the first tenants moving into their new homes in June - two months ahead of schedule.

Mr Cornall added: “I’m delighted that Elmgrove Point has been completed ahead of schedule and that we’ve been able to allow tenants to move in and begin enjoying their new homes at the start of the summer.

"The development has attracted a lot of interest, with 50% of the units being allocated before construction was complete.”

He added: “This success demonstrates LHA-ASRA’s ability to acquire and develop challenging sites and transform them to the benefit of the local community.”

Properties in the tower, available for affordable and intermediate rent, include four-bedroom duplexes with private gardens as well as one, two and three-bedroom apartments with individual balconies.

A bio-mass boiler, which runs on wood pellets, provides renewable energy for the whole building, reducing carbon emissions from the homes and keeping running costs low for residents.

The development also includes a large central communal courtyard and secure children’s play area.

Alan Camp, senior partner at Alan Camp Architects, which designed and detailed the tower, said: “We are extremely proud of Elmgrove Point and delighted that the local community is now benefiting from the scheme.

"The collaboration and partnership working between ourselves, LHA-ASRA, contractors Galliford Try, and consultants Cyril Silver and Partners has been truly professional as a pro-active team - a key factor in enabling us to bring the project in ahead of schedule and to a high quality build.”

Elmgrove Point has already been awarded Demonstration Project status by Construction Excellence, an organisation set up to monitor and improve performance in the industry.

It has also been commended for its provision of Lifetime Homes, going beyond standards set by the government for adaptable homes and making 10% accessible to wheelchair users.