The development, in Great Haddon, Peterborough, is being delivered by mixed-tenure developer Countryside and represents the first phase of a new expansion of southern Peterborough. The community will be bounded by existing woodland and new water features as well as new schools and community amenities to be delivered as part of the wider site.
The firm’s SBTR arm, which launched at the end of 2020, is now scaling a portfolio of large scale ‘single family’ rental communities in suburban locations across the UK.
In line with Legal & General’s wider ambitions for its SBTR projects, Great Haddon will be community-focused and service-led, offering residents choice, security of tenure and flexibility. This level of offering is largely unavailable in the wider residential market, particularly outside the UK’s urban centres. Legal & General SBTR developments will also be designed to reflect new ways of living, post-COVID, such as incorporating home offices and offering access to more extensive outdoor space.
Across its new developments, SBTR will be implementing a robust ESG framework in order to enhance and create viable, long-lasting communities. Alongside Legal & General’s other housing businesses, SBTR aims to be operationally carbon net-zero from 2030.
Having launched its Build to Rent Fund in 2017, it now has over 5,500 homes in operation or development across the UK’s major towns and cities. The SBTR sector, however, has lacked the same concentration of investment, with less than 1% of the market having benefitted from patient capital compared to c. 6% for the urban sector. Recognising this untapped potential and the societal need for high-quality family homes to rent, Legal & General is at the forefront of institutionalising the suburban rental sector.
David Reid, Managing Director, Legal & General Suburban Build to Rent, said: “Build to rent as a sector has consistently demonstrated value to investors, delivering robust and defensive income streams, suitable for patient capital investment. This is clearly about more than strong investment prospects for us; it’s about providing high-quality rental housing for families across the UK, as working practices and lifestyle demands continue to evolve. We are delighted to be developing our first scheme with Countryside to meet these aims and look forward to working with Countryside in future.”
Matt Bench, Chief Investment Officer at Countryside, said: “As a mixed-tenure developer, providing quality homes that meet requirements for a wide range of different individuals is important to us. As well as offering options that help families get on the property ladder, suburban build-to-rent homes such as those available at Great Haddon will combine great places to live in an attractive, family-friendly setting with high standards of management and service. We’re excited to be working with Legal & General and bringing this suburban build-to-rent scheme to life.”
