UK: Plans for a major coliving and community development scheme in Hackney Wick have secured planning approval, gaining strong local support in a rare win for community-led regeneration.
The 115-119 Wallis Road scheme will deliver 337 coliving homes alongside a long-term base for the Hackney Wick and Fish Island Community Development Trust (HWFI CDT), an organisation focused on preserving the area’s cultural life.
Developed through a partnership between real estate developer Halcyon and HWFI CDT, the project will repurpose three mid-century warehouses into Hackney’s first coliving scheme, set to open in 2028.
The development will offer studio apartments with access to shared amenities such as gyms, cinemas, gaming suites, lounges, and terraces. Rents will be all-inclusive and cover bills.
The site will also feature public spaces, including a new courtyard and a square adjacent to the historic Eton Mission Rowing Club.
Hackney-based architects Morris & Company were in charge of the designs, which were recently approved by the London Legacy Development Corporation, in one of its final acts before planning powers transitioned back to the four Olympic boroughs.
Patrick Scally, executive lead at HWFI CDT, said: “To preserve the rich social fabric of Hackney Wick, we believe that the community should not just be beneficiaries, but owners of the change they see in their neighbourhood. This site will deliver against that mission and sends a signal for all in the development sector to hear. The time is now to believe in our communities, give our communities voice and let them truly shape their future.”
The site is currently used by HWFI to operate The Loop, a circular economy hub which aims to offer affordable workspace to local entrepreneurs who are working to help the environment.
As part of the redevelopment, Halcyon has agreed to give HWFI CDT a space, rent-free, for at least 99 years.
Neil MacLeod, founding partner at Halcyon said: “Alongside securing the regeneration of this key site, we are looking forward to providing the Hackney Wick and Fish Island Community Development Trust with a long-term home, enabling fantastic opportunities for Hackney’s creative industries. This is a partnership we hope can be replicated across the development sector in London, ensuring that local people benefit meaningfully from development.”
Halcyon delivered similar properties in Harrow, Earlsfield and Battersea. The developers said that renters at its other buildings are enjoying the benefits of co-living and “not suffering from the typical historical problems that have plagued the private rented sector, including poor quality accommodation, loneliness and negligent landlord practices”.
