Grainger–Barratt Redrow Chiswick BTR: design, funding and delivery notes for engineers
Reviewed by Joe Ashwell
First reported on The Construction Index
30 Second Briefing
Connected Living London will forward fund and acquire a £68.4m, 195-home build-to-rent scheme at Chiswick Reach on Bollo Lane, West London, to be developed with Barratt Redrow in Grainger’s first BTR collaboration with a major UK housebuilder. The project, which has detailed planning consent and Building Safety Regulator Gateway 2 approval, includes 4,299 sq ft of commercial space and 5,499 sq ft of internal amenity space such as co-working areas and a gym. Construction is due to start within weeks, with practical completion targeted for late 2028.
Technical Brief
- Forward-funding structure fixes total capex at £68.4m, de-risking construction cost escalation for the JV.
- Equity split is tightly defined at 51% Grainger and 49% Places for London (TfL’s property arm).
- Gateway 2 approval from the Building Safety Regulator confirms detailed design and construction control regime pre-start.
- Detailed planning consent already secured, so early works can focus on mobilisation, site logistics and groundworks.
- Commercial floor area of 4,299 sq ft will require separate servicing, fire strategy and structural loading arrangements.
- Internal amenity provision of 5,499 sq ft implies additional MEP complexity for gym and co-working fit-out.
- Collaboration model with a major housebuilder may become a template for future BTR schemes with similar JV funding.
Our Take
Within our 537 Infrastructure stories, West London schemes involving Transport for London or its property arms tend to show long delivery horizons similar to the late‑2028 target here, signalling that transport-adjacent land assembly and consents remain a pacing factor for urban BTR pipelines.
The 51/49 ownership split between Grainger and Places for London reflects a pattern in our database where public-sector landowners in UK BTR deals retain substantial economic exposure, which can complicate exit strategies but often improves planning outcomes and local political support.
At a purchase price of £68.4m for 195 homes, this Chiswick Reach scheme sits at the upper end of per‑unit capital intensity among recent UK BTR items in our coverage, implying that rental levels will likely need to target the mid-to-upper market segment rather than purely affordable tenures.
Prepared by collating external sources, AI-assisted tools, and Geomechanics.io’s proprietary mining database, then reviewed for technical accuracy & edited by our geotechnical team.
