Across Europe, demand for housing is rising, thanks to population growth and shifting demographics. But supply is failing to keep pace: in the UK, the average number of new homes built annually over the last decade has been barely half the amount required, while the steady rise in house prices has pushed more people into the already overstretched rental market.

We need to build more high-quality housing, particularly now more people see their home as a place to work as well as sleep and socialise. But at the same time, we need to be conscious of how expanding our built environment contributes to our overall carbon footprint.

Co-living, an emerging residential concept that combines private living space with communal amenities, helps us tackle both these challenges. It is a low-carbon, higher-density model that allows us to repurpose under-used urban buildings, in a way that combats social isolation and broadens access to quality housing.

Bridges and our partner HUB have acquired Sandringham Mews, a 318-home consented co-living scheme in West London.

With this development, we are transforming an under-used car park fronted by commercial units into attractive high-quality new homes. The consented scheme will give the site – which is located in the Ealing Town Centre Conservation Area – a renewed purpose and bring it back into use.

In line with HUB and Bridges’ commitment to creating homes that foster community cohesion, residents will benefit from shared amenities such as a communal kitchen, gym, cinema, co-working space, and sunken courtyards with biodiverse planting. The scheme also dedicates a generous portion of the site to public spaces and retail, encouraging movement through the development.

Sustainability is at the core of the Sandringham Mews development.. The scheme is targeting a BREEAM ‘Excellent’ rating, with the potential to achieve ‘Outstanding’, exceeding current environmental planning requirements set by The London Plan and Ealing Council. In addition to being within walking distance of Ealing Broadway station, active travel will be supported with ample secure cycle storage.

The built environment is responsible for about 37% of all carbon emissions globally. So improving energy efficiency is of the most important factors in achieving Net Zero carbon emissions.

Meanwhile the rise in e-commerce – accelerated by the pandemic – has driven greater investment in urban and last-mile logistics; and factors such as use diversification and re-shoring are helping to sustain demand.

So low-carbon logistics facilities are becoming increasingly attractive to organisations as a way to meet consumer demand, cut operating costs, accelerate their own Net Zero journey by reducing emissions, and future-proof their real estate portfolio against incoming regulation.

Bridges has partnered with Graftongate to develop Nursling 135, a new c.135,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art industrial unit, on a 6-acre site at Nursling Industrial Estate, Mauretania Road, near Jct 3 of the M27. It is strategically positioned within an established industrial and logistics zone, stretching from the M27 to the Port of Southampton.

The Nursling development is zero carbon in operation, thanks to sustainable features such as PV panels and rainwater harvesting. It has achieved EPC A+ and BREEAM Outstanding – making it one of the UK’s most sustainable industrial buildings.

The built environment is responsible for about 37% of all carbon emissions globally. So improving energy efficiency is of the most important factors in achieving Net Zero carbon emissions.

Meanwhile the rise in e-commerce – accelerated by the pandemic – has driven greater investment in urban and last-mile logistics; and factors such as use diversification and re-shoring are helping to sustain demand.

So low-carbon logistics facilities are becoming increasingly attractive to organisations as a way to meet consumer demand, cut operating costs, accelerate their own Net Zero journey by reducing emissions, and future-proof their real estate portfolio against incoming regulation.

Bridges has partnered with Wrenbridge and Gallagher Properties to develop Paddock Wood, a new 200,000 sq. ft. best-in-class industrial and logistics development with a range of high-quality units designed to meet the growing demand for modern logistics space in the South-East. Following consent, construction is scheduled to commence in Q1 2026, with completion and occupation expected later in the year.

Thanks to smart design and the use of on-site renewables, the Paddock Wood scheme is expected to be one of the most sustainable industrial developments in the UK, targeting EPC A+ and Net Zero Carbon in Operation.

By 2039, there will be 9.9m people aged 75 and over in the UK, while one in 12 of the population will be over 80. Currently, there is a limited supply of supported accommodation available to older people who are looking to downsize; the availability of retirement living options relative to the over-80 population is substantially lower than in other developed countries. A report by the Older People’s Housing Taskforce in 2024 suggested that the UK needed up to 50,000 new later-living homes a year to meet demand – but just 7,000 a year were being built. This is having a detrimental effect on housing market liquidity and is likely to increase the demands on primary and social care.

Birchgrove is an assisted living platform, launched by Bridges in 2017. It provides purpose-built high-quality assisted living apartments for the elderly (typically 80+) who are looking to downsize or live in a more secure and/or communal environment. Birchgrove developments will also include on-site care support as well as community and leisure facilities. Birchgrove operates on a rental model – still a relatively rare approach in this sector – whereby elderly customers can rent 1-2 bedroom apartments without lengthy contracts. It aims to offer its tenants the benefits of independence without the burdens of home ownership.

The first development was next to Queen Mary’s Hospital in in Sidcup, Kent and comprises 74 units, which could ultimately accommodate over 100 people. Two more sites have since been developed in Ewell and Woking, while a further three sites have now been acquired and are at various stages of development. The goal is to ultimately deliver around 400 Birchgrove units across the south east of England, housing up to 600 people.

Loneliness and isolation are thought to increase the likelihood of mortality by over 25% in older people. By providing purpose-built assisted living units for rent in attractive developments, we believe we can help to address this challenge, while also alleviating some of the pressures on the NHS and the care home sector.

The assisted living market in the UK is still under-supplied, with a limited choice of accommodation and tenure types. By creating the Birchgrove model, Bridges hopes not only to provide these much-needed facilities, but also to play a catalytic role in proving the model and helping to develop the wider sector (thereby increasing provision more broadly).

The development will also utilise a range of environmentally-friendly construction initiatives where viable. It will also look to enhance the health & well-being of occupants through good design.

www.birchgrove.life

Research indicates that England needs 340,000 new homes a year until 2031 to tackle the housing shortage, including 90,000 for social rent. High demand means there is a pressing need for more lower-cost and affordable housing, while investing in high quality housing provision will help towards community regeneration.

Latitude is a 2.3-acre site in a major regeneration area close to the centre of Leeds, which we acquired in December 2020. The local authority is one of the 18% most underserved in England; with our long-standing joint venture partner HUB, we’re addressing the strong demand for lower-cost and affordable family units in this area.

The Latitude development is expected to deliver over 850 high-quality lower cost housing units – a significant contribution (over 25%) towards the annual housing needs of Leeds – and will play a crucial role in the positive regeneration of the area. Preliminary estimates have indicated that the build will achieve a c.50% reduction in CO2 emissions vs a standard new-build.

https://hubresidential.com/projects/latitude-blue

There is a pressing need for more lower-cost and affordable housing, with research indicating that England needs 340,000 new homes a year until 2031 to tackle the housing shortage, including 90,000 for social rent. This need is particularly acute in urban areas, where 68% of the world population will be living by 2050.

By investing in housing, Bridges is helping to tackle this fundamental shortage of supply, while also enabling local employment and positive regeneration of these areas. At the same time, we look to incorporate leading environmental and sustainable features into the construction and building design, to support the decarbonisation of the built environment.

Bridges and our partner HUB have acquired a prominent and vacant 4.5 acre brownfield site adjacent to Bath city centre, with plans to transform it into a high quality housing-led scheme.

The comprehensive redevelopment of the Bath site – part of the wider regeneration of the Bath Western Riverside enterprise area – will deliver a significant number of BTR and affordable homes, alongside commercial spaces and improved public realm. The development will respond to the growing unmet need for high-quality rental homes in Bath, a desirable and high-growth city.

The scheme will offer waterside living, adjacent to the River Avon and several other new developments. The site enjoys a prime location: it has two bridge connections to the city centre and is just an 8-minute walk from central Bath.

A major focus for the scheme will be minimising environmental impact with a highly efficient energy strategy targeting EPC A, onsite renewables, and full whole life-cycle carbon assessment throughout the development process.

Across Europe, demand for housing is rising, thanks to population growth and the increase in single-person households. But supply is failing to keep pace: in the UK, the average number of new homes built annually over the last decade has been barely half the amount required, while the steady rise in house prices has pushed more people into the already overstretched rental market.

We need to build more high-quality housing, particularly now more people see their home as a place to work as well as sleep and socialise. But at the same time, we need to be conscious of how the built environment contributes to our overall carbon footprint.

Co-living, an emerging residential concept that combines private living space with communal amenities, helps us tackle both these challenges. It is a low-carbon, higher-density model that allows us to repurpose under-used urban buildings, in a way that combats social isolation and broadens access to quality housing.

Bridges and our partner HUB have submitted plans for a co-living-led development at 45 Beech Street in the City of London, next to the Barbican. The scheme would deliver 174 co-living homes as well as new public realm, ground-floor commercial space and on-site resident amenities.

Designed by Stirling Prize-winning practice AHMM, the proposal would transform a 1950s office building into a community-focused residential scheme that responds sensitively and imaginatively to the context of the iconic Barbican Estate.

In line with HUB and Bridges’ shared focus on minimising carbon emissions, the proposed scheme would take a retrofit-first approach, reusing the existing structure to achieve an embodied carbon saving. The scheme would also target market-leading sustainability credentials: BREEAM Excellent, EPC A, Fitwell 3* and Net Zero operational carbon.

The scheme has been developed in close collaboration with the local community and key neighbourhood stakeholders. The consultation process involved a series of stakeholder workshops, consultation events and outreach to Barbican residents as well as the local business community. The goal is to deliver benefits both to residents and to people who live and work nearby, thanks to public realm improvements and a range of shared amenities that connect the scheme to its community.

Across Europe, demand for housing is rising, thanks to population growth and the increase in single-person households. But supply is failing to keep pace: in the UK, the average number of new homes built annually over the last decade has been barely half the amount required, while the steady rise in house prices has pushed more people into the already overstretched rental market.

We need to build more high-quality housing, particularly now more people see their home as a place to work as well as sleep and socialise. But at the same time, we need to be conscious of how the built environment contributes to our overall carbon footprint.

Co-living, an emerging residential concept that combines private living space with communal amenities, helps us tackle both these challenges. It is a low-carbon, higher-density model that allows us to repurpose under-used urban buildings, in a way that combats social isolation and broadens access to quality housing.

Bridges and our partner HUB have acquired 150 Minories, an under-used commercial building in Aldgate. Our goal is to repurpose and refurbish the existing building to create a highly sustainable co-living residential scheme.

The conversion will involve retaining the frame of the building and reinforcing its foundations, an approach which saves 30% embodied carbon compared to an equivalent new build.

There is a pressing need for more lower-cost and affordable housing, with research indicating that England needs 340,000 new homes a year until 2031 to tackle the housing shortage, including 90,000 for social rent. This need is particularly acute in urban areas, where 68% of the world population will be living by 2050.

By investing in housing, Bridges is helping to tackle this fundamental shortage of supply, while also enabling local employment and positive regeneration of these areas. At the same time, we look to incorporate leading environmental and sustainable features into the construction and building design, to support the decarbonisation of the built environment.

Redevelopment of a 41,081 sq.ft. vacant office, originally built in in the 1990s, minutes away from Reading Rail Station. The site enjpoys a prominent location along the Thames Path, with scenic views of the river to the north. The plan is to redevelop the site and deliver a significant number of BTR and affordable homes, alongside commercial spaces and improved public realm facing the river.

Great effort has gone into designing a scheme that minimises the environmental impact of the development. The proposals include a highly efficient building envelope and systems and on-site renewable energy generation. The scheme is targeting EPC A and Home Quality Mark Level 4, while wellbeing will be assessed via Fitwel (with an aspiration to achieve 3 stars). There is a strong focus on reducing the embodied and whole life-cycle carbon emissions of the building to a level well below industry benchmarks. A whole life carbon assessment has been commissioned to facilitate this.

The built environment is responsible for about 37% of all carbon emissions globally. So improving energy efficiency is of the most important factors in achieving Net Zero carbon emissions.

Meanwhile the rise in e-commerce – accelerated by the pandemic – has driven greater investment in urban and last-mile logistics; and factors such as use diversification and re-shoring are helping to sustain demand.

So low-carbon logistics facilities are becoming increasingly attractive to organisations as a way to meet consumer demand, cut operating costs, accelerate their own Net Zero journey by reducing emissions, and future-proof their real estate portfolio against incoming regulation.

Bridges and our partner Chancerygate have been granted planning consent to build Harlequin Industrial Park, a highly sustainable 90,000 sq ft Grade A urban logistics development in Hayes, west London.

Harlequin will sit in an established industrial location on Southall Lane with Beaver Industrial Estate, International Trading Estate and Western International Market all nearby. The development benefits from excellent road connectivity and is less than one mile from junction three of the M4 motorway and four miles from the A40.

Once complete, the scheme will comprise nine units ranging from 5,100 sq ft to 39,700 sq ft, with a projected gross development value of around £40m.

Construction work is due to start in 2024 after the demolition of the office buildings currently on the site.

All properties at the development will target a minimum EPC rating of A+ and a BREEAM Excellent rating. They will feature electric vehicle charging points along with solar cells which provide occupiers with affordable green energy. In addition, the units will be constructed from high-performance building materials to reduce CO2 emissions.

The built environment is responsible for about 37% of all carbon emissions globally. So improving energy efficiency is of the most important factors in achieving Net Zero carbon emissions.

Meanwhile the rise in e-commerce – accelerated by the pandemic – has driven greater investment in urban and last-mile logistics; and factors such as use diversification and re-shoring are helping to sustain demand.

So low-carbon logistics facilities are becoming increasingly attractive to organisations as a way to meet consumer demand, cut operating costs, accelerate their own Net Zero journey by reducing emissions, and future-proof their real estate portfolio

Bridges and our partner Chancerygate acquired a 12-acre site known as Erdington, on Chester Road in north-east Birmingham.
The site is a prime urban logistics location in an established employment area, with excellent access to central Birmingham and the wider region via Junction 6 of the M6 motorway (just 2 miles away).
We are seeking planning consent to demolish the existing low-quality buildings in order to develop a 300,000 sq. ft. multi-unit warehouse scheme, with approx. 26 units ranging from 4,000 to 33,000 sq. ft.

The development will target best-in-class sustainability credentials: EPC A+, BREEAM Excellent and Net Zero Carbon in operation.

The site was previously home to a car parts manufacturer, which closed down in 2021 with the loss of over 500 jobs. We estimate that once all 26 units are occupied, they could support between 400 and 500 local jobs, in addition to those created during the construction process.

Across Europe, demand for housing is rising, thanks to population growth and the increase in single-person households. But supply is failing to keep pace: in the UK, the average number of new homes built annually over the last decade has been barely half the amount required, while the steady rise in house prices has pushed more people into the already overstretched rental market.

We need to build more high-quality housing, particularly now more people see their home as a place to work as well as sleep and socialise. But at the same time, we need to be conscious of how the built environment contributes to our overall carbon footprint.

Co-living, an emerging residential concept that combines private living space with communal amenities, helps us tackle both these challenges. It is a low-carbon, higher-density model that allows us to repurpose under-used urban buildings, in a way that combats social isolation and broadens access to quality housing.

Following a complex planning application process, Bridges and our partner HUB received planning consent to construct 209 co-living units alongside 50 social units for Women’s Pioneer Housing on Wood Lane in Hammersmith.

The ‘Yardhouse’ development will be a major component of the regeneration of the White City area, delivering much-needed social housing for WPH while also making a significant contribution towards the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham’s unmet housing needs.

The development is targeting BREEAM Excellent, with c.60% less CO2 emissions than a standard new-build development. Sustainability features are likely to include solar photovoltaic cells, heat pumps, sustainably-procured materials, low-energy lighting, water-efficient fittings, good levels of sound insulation and daylighting, cycle parking spaces, secondary fire escape and amenity spaces such as roof terraces.

In addition to the benefits for residents, Yardhouse will provide WPH with new offices and over twice as many affordable housing units as it had previously. It will benefit the local community through its high-quality landscaping and shared amneities. And it will aim to make a positive contribution to local employment and apprenticeships during construction, while also engaging with schools and local charities.