Jane McGowan reports on the latest town centre developments...
Surrey and South West London have long been feted for their idyllic surroundings, suburban elegance and riverside access – but did you know they are also home to some fabulous towns, offering equally fabulous accommodation options.
Kingston is currently undergoing somewhat of a transformation with the regeneration of Eden Walk – a £430m landmark project comprising new homes, retail and restaurant units as well as a boutique cinema and the creation of more than 1,200 new jobs. The town has also been chosen as the base of the new headquarters for German supermarket chain Lidl; while The Exchange will, according to the council, offer “flexible workspace for new businesses and entrepreneurs combined with space for more established small businesses”.
There are also a good many homes planned for the town centre too: Berkeley Homes’ Queenshurst Development is leading the charge. The North Kingston site will deliver 328 high-quality residential units, as well as improved pedestrian and cycle paths and a new culinary training restaurant run in conjunction with Kingston College. The build will even have its own village hall.
The mix of one and two-bedroom apartments offer a gym for residents, as well as a concierge service. The development has proved very popular with estate agents, with one Andrew Pollard snapping up one for himself. He said: “It’s 5-star hotel-style living with a 24-hour concierge service, private gym, cinema room, residents’ suite and private landscaped courtyard. It’s lovely to come back in the evening and relax, knowing that everything I need is here.”
Meanwhile over in Twickenham, work is underway on two big regeneration projects based around the town’s riverside setting and its bustling railway station.
The station development will create 115 apartments, as well as retail and café space and a riverside link, taking pedestrians from Moormead Park to the new station plaza.
Guildford too has its fair share of works planned in order to try and fill the growing need for housing in the town. One of the South East’s most desirable destinations thanks to its mix of retail, commercial and aesthetic elements, house prices in the Surrey town sit well above the Thames Valley average at almost £460,000 but remain below those of South West London by roughly 35%.
Almost 2,800 new homes have been earmarked by the council’s 2017 Masterplan around the areas of Bright Hill, Guildford Park Car Park, The Plaza, Wey Corner and Kernel Court, with at least 40% deemed ‘affordable’.
In Woking, the major Victoria Square development, which will provide two residential towers complete with more than 400 high-specification apartments is on track to meet its phased completion date of 2020. Recent news revealed that the 189-room Hilton Hotel to be based in the third tower has ‘hit its height’ of 97m above ground level. The four-star hotel will also host a Sky Bar on the 22nd floor, offering commanding views across Surrey and towards London.
