UK: Plans for a 24-storey coliving project in Battersea have been rejected after Wandsworth councillors expressed concerns over the size of the units.
Designed by architects Hawkins\Brown for developer Greystar, the proposals featured 547 studios with shared kitchens, a concierge, a bar, gym, karaoke area, yoga space, library, cinema room, laundry area, games room, visitor lounge, dog washroom and podcasting facility.
The studios would have ranged in size from 22 to 38 square metres. Greystar said it expected rent prices to vary range between £263 and £342 per week, while the Greater London Authority’s viability team said it thought the prices would actually range between £355 and £410 per week.
The development was proposed for a 0.36 hectare site at 57-59 Lombard Road, which is currently occupied by a Halfords store, on the corner of York Road. A consented scheme for the site, designed by Mountford Piggott, was approved in 2019 and features 168 homes as well as office, retail and artist space.
Councillors voted to reject the Hawkins\Brown scheme after raising concerns about the coliving model, the quality of housing it provides, as well as its “lack of affordability for young people and local residents”. They also raised concerns about the height of the scheme and its impact on transport services.
