Berkeley Group has broken ground on Trillium, a landmark regeneration project set to deliver 556 new homes in Westminster. The former Paddington Green Police Station site at Edgware Road will include 39% affordable homes onsite once complete and an additional 11% provided at the Mayor of London’s strategic site in Barnet – achieving a total 50% affordable housing provision overall.
Progress on site follows Berkeley Group’s close collaboration with the Greater London Authority (GLA) to maximise the level of affordable housing at the scheme and recent commitments by the housebuilder to step up its delivery and investment in response to the Government’s pro-housebuilding agenda.
Designed by award-winning architects Squire & Partners, Trillium will transform a previously underused, concrete-dominated area along Edgware Road into a welcoming neighbourhood hub. The plans feature a welcoming public space with landscaping, a water feature, public art, social seating, shops, and cafes, creating a vibrant community destination.
Located on a complex brownfield site that once housed a high-security prison and police headquarters, Trillium is being reimagined as a key gateway to the West End and Westminster.
Its prime location, adjacent to Edgware Road underground station, is reflective of Berkeley Group’s focus on unlocking brownfield sites in central hubs to create sustainable, well-connected housing.
The development has been designed with sustainability at its core, achieving a 200% Biodiversity Net Gain, including the planting of 77 trees. It will be entirely car-free, prioritising pedestrians and cyclists with over 1,000 cycle parking spaces. In addition, it will achieve a 67% onsite carbon reduction, driven by an innovative renewable energy strategy. Homes are designed to minimise overheating, while the commercial spaces are set to meet BREEAM Excellent standards.
To further enhance the scheme’s sustainability, Berkeley Group has submitted a planning amendment aimed at reducing embodied carbon by 25% in the tallest building on site. This includes minimising concrete usage and improving façade design to lower the project’s overall carbon footprint.
Paul Vallone, Divisional Chairman, Berkeley Group, said: “The start of construction at Trillium is an exciting milestone in the transformation of this area around Edgware Road and creating a more welcoming place that everyone can enjoy as well as hundreds of homes.
“This is a hugely complex site right by a major transport link and it is proof of what can be achieved through public and private sector collaboration and a shared determination to deliver housing. London must continue to make the best possible use of land like this to step-up homebuilding amid challenging market conditions. While we are starting to see the impact of the Government’s brownfield-first homebuilding agenda with progress across several of our major London schemes, we must now capitalise on this momentum by working in partnerships at a local level to ensure investment and delivery.”
The Deputy Mayor for Housing and Residential Development, Tom Copley, said: “I’m delighted that the Trillium development has reached this key milestone and is set to deliver 556 homes in Westminster. Thanks to innovative policies in the Mayor’s London Plan, 50 per cent affordable housing will be delivered across this site and another former Met Police site.
“Backed by funding from the Mayor of London, this development supports our mission to use brownfield land to deliver the genuinely affordable homes that Londoners need and deserve, helping communities to thrive. The new public green spaces and retail and community facilities will play a vital part in transforming the local area to create a better, greener London for everyone.”