Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands (LDS) has recently submitted plans for the construction of over 500 homes as part of the ongoing Woodberry Down estate regeneration project by housebuilder Berkeley in north London. This submission marks the fourth phase of Berkeley’s ambitious 5,000-home masterplan which also features a 26-storey tower.

The application to Hackney council encompasses the latest 15,000 square metre parcel of land at the Finsbury Park site, a project initiated more than a decade ago with the aim to provide over 5,000 homes upon completion.

The new phase outlines the demolition of six large post-war housing blocks to make way for the construction of a 26-storey tower, four terraced buildings, and two freestanding blocks. Additionally, a substantial public realm area is proposed, intended to serve as the central square for the broader development.

The project team comprises development partner Notting Hill Genesis, planning consultant Rolfe Judd Planning, landscape architect Fabrik, civil and structural engineer Fairhurst, and daylight consultant Avison Young.

In response to the government’s revision of fire safety regulations, which now requires a second means of escape in residential buildings, LDS has updated the design of all buildings to include twin escape stairs. The proposed layouts in this phase showcase separate stair cores connected by corridors, aligning with the fire safety rule. This design approach mirrors Berkeley’s earlier revisions in its 1,300-home Oval Village scheme in Lambeth.

To date, around 2,300 homes have been completed at Woodberry Down, with an additional 584 homes currently under construction. Moreover, the second of two new parks within the estate is slated for completion next year.

The Woodberry Down regeneration scheme, whose masterplan was initially approved in 2009, had its blueprint expanded in 2013 to include seven further phases. The submission for the fourth phase follows closely on the heels of Berkeley’s outline plans for a significant extension of its Green Quarter development in west London, proposing at least 3,000 more homes on the 22-hectare former gasworks site in Southall, encompassing around 50 buildings.