Rowan Park development by Merton wins Housing Design Award

The new RowanPark housing development in the London Borough of Merton has won the ‘2012 Project Winner’ accolade at this year’s national Housing Design Awards.

This flagship development will see the former Rowan school site, in Rowan Road, transformed into a 2.6 hectare landscaped public park, with 217 much-needed homes in Mitcham.

Once completed, the scheme will provide 131 family homes and 86 apartments. Each home meets high-quality design specifications, featuring solar panels on the roofs. Residents in the area will also soon benefit from a new scout and community facility, and a new medical centre and pharmacy. There will be 278 car parking bays and 171 cycle parking spaces set within a new ‘homezone’ street layout.

Thirty per cent of the housing is classified as affordable to buy or rent through shared ownership schemes. A further 10% of homes are part of developer Crest Nicholson’s First-Time Buyer’s Initiative (FTBI).

The judging panel commended RowanPark for a robust masterplan with a family friendly layout and community facilities. The architects were also praised for going above and beyond the sustainability brief, providing a new style and identity for the area which could be a model for London’s suburbs. The site was developed in partnership between the Council, Homes and Communities Agency, developer Crest Nicholson and architects Sheppard Robson.

Merton Council’s cabinet member for environmental sustainability and regeneration, Councillor Andrew Judge, said: "It is very gratifying that RowanPark has been selected as a project winner at this year’s Housing Design Awards. From the outset, nine years ago, we aimed to achieve an exemplary eco development featuring a high quality of design, strong eco credentials and integration with new public green and open space. This scheme will provide more than 200 homes to local people, and particularly families, in Mitcham. RowanPark is at the forefront of innovative and sustainable design, and sets the benchmark for future developments in our borough.”

Cllr Judge also congratulated Merton Priory Homes’ new sheltered housing scheme at the Oaks in Morden, which was also nominated for an award.