Weston Homes has acquired the historic 2.5-acre Watford Laundry Factory in northwest London, founded in 1907 and for 105 years the launderers for London’s 5-star hotels, The Old Bailey and Harrow School; it will be transformed into a new €99m (£85m) mixed-use development providing 227 apartments and penthouses complete with a new commercial facility, piazzas, parking and landscaped grounds.
Situated to the south west of Watford Town Centre close to Watford Underground Station, the Watford Laundry Factory site is located off Sydney Street and benefits from detailed planning consent for residential-led regeneration. Designed around a wide tree-lined entrance boulevard, the new London development will provide 208 one, two and three bedroom private sale apartments and penthouses located across eight newly built apartment buildings ranging in height from three to 11 storeys. Providing 162,000ft² of accommodation, the buildings will have striking contemporary facades with features including balconies, floor to ceiling windows and feature brick detailing.
There will also be 19 affordable housing units providing one, two and three bedrooms and 15,000ft² of accommodation. The development is complete with pedestrian pathways, communal landscaped areas, new green planting, 167 car parking spaces and secure cycle parking. Preliminary works have started on site and full construction works are anticipated to start in the Autumn of 2019. The new development will have a two-year construction programme with the sales launch planned for Spring 2020.
Bob Weston, Chief Executive of Weston Homes, said: “Our acquisition of the Watford Laundry Factory is the latest in a series of site purchases that Weston Homes is in the process of undertaking as part of our ongoing major expansion. Over the last six months, the business has acquired 10 new sites including a series of major regeneration projects within Greater London. We now have a development portfolio of over 7,500 new homes with a completed value approaching €3.5bn (£3bn)."
