Estate regeneration - Brook Valley Gardens 

Countryside in Partnership with the London Borough of Barnet are delivering 631 houses with tenure blind approach at Brook Valley Gardens, previously known as the Dollis Valley Estate in North London.  

To promote mixed and balanced communities and to create more housing choice and opportunities, Countryside adopted a strategic target of delivering 50% of houses with gardens and 50% of apartments through a clever street design and Smart Garden Suburban mix.  

All 103 affordable homes provided so far have been delivered under an Affordable Housing Agreement with L&Q with Countryside as the main contractor. The design of affordable dwellings are pepper potted throughout the development, using the same materials as the private dwellings, so that there is no apparent difference to ensure tenure blindness.

Through the Partnerships effective re-housing programme none of the households were double decanted. The Housing Association provided housing for residents wanting to stay on the estate by using the same size of dwellings they were living in and by this decreasing the impact of the construction on their quality of life. 

We have taken a tenure blind approach to design, estate management and customer service at Brook Valley Gardens. Our approach gives everyone the same quality and the same attention regardless of background and status. Our tenure blind and mixed tenure has created a truly integrated and sustainable community.

The benefits have been a closer interaction between different communities, providing support and long-term role models. To invest in the regeneration of the area further we have ensured a minimum of 20% local labour on site during construction. The upskill of local community residents adding to job prospects also plants the seeds of a multiplier effect of the estate to then pass on the benefits to the wider community. 

This new garden suburb is not only ‘green’ but is also ‘smart’. From the scale of the masterplan and community infrastructure, to the design of individual houses and apartments or the details of each home, our approach aims to place Dollis Valley at the leading edge of sustainable suburban development. The Key innovations that were made for this scheme was that the development meets the code for Sustainable Homes (CfSH) level 4 rating, demonstrating a high standard of sustainability.