UK: Amro Partners, in a JV with Flemyn, has secured planning consent for a 447-unit BTR development in Croydon, south London.
The disused Croydon Park Hotel will be converted into a BREEAM Outstanding scheme, which Amro says will be one of the most sustainable new residential buildings in London on completion in 2027.
Botanical House will deliver 447 new one-, two- and three-bedroom rental homes. In contrast to other BTR projects in Croydon, more than 25 per cent of its units will be three-bedroom apartments, catering for families and providing “an affordable option for sharers”.
Facilities will include a roof terrace, gym/wellness centre, cinema/media room, communal lounge areas, outside play area and co-working spaces. A total of 20 per cent of the apartments will be designated as affordable, available to tenants at below market value via Discounted Market Rent and London Living Rent.
In line with Amro’s Net Zero Carbon 2025 pledge, the project will be the first residential building in Croydon to achieve the highest possible sustainability standards including BREEAM ‘Outstanding rating, Fitwel3* certification and WiredScore Platinum. Taking a retrofit first approach, the basement and ground floor slab of the original hotel building will be retained to save embodied carbon and minimise demolition and subsequent waste on site.
HTA Design is the architect for the scheme. Botanical House will comprise two adjacent structures connected through a central communal entrance.
HTA’s proposals include landscaped amenity spaces for residents and enhancements to the streetscape, with extensive new planting as well as improved connectivity within the surrounding area. A significant 51 per cent biodiversity net gain will be achieved through the creation of a large, communal landscaped garden, 50 per cent soft landscaping and the addition of 45 newly planted trees and green street frontages, retaining existing street trees.
In partnership with local charities and community groups including Asian Resource Centre Croydon, Croydon Commitment and Croydon Voluntary Action, a new dedicated 206 square metre multifunctional community room on Altyre Road will provide space for social events, exercise classes and mentoring programmes. Construction will begin in 2024, with the development scheduled to complete and open in 2027, after which it will be managed on an ongoing basis by Amro’s operational platform, Amro Living.
Raj Kotecha, chairman and CEO of Amro Partners, said: “With planning permission secured, we look forward to starting work delivering this exemplar Build to Rent project in the beating heart of Croydon. We are already working closely with the local community to deliver an exceptional new building which not only sets a new bar in terms of sustainability but makes a significant contribution to meeting high demand for quality rental homes in the borough.”
