Brent Cross Town is a vast 180-acre (72.8 hectare) mixed-use park town being developed as part of the Brent Cross Cricklewood regeneration programme to create a new community in Barnet, London, UK.
Brent Cross South Limited Partnership (BXS LP), a joint venture between Barnet Council, the local authority of London and the property developer Related Argent (previously Argent Related), is developing the project with an estimated investment of £8bn ($10.1bn).
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The construction at Brent Cross Town began in 2020. The project prioritises the creation of a health-promoting environment and commits to a comprehensive strategy for sustainable living.
Location
Brent Cross Town benefits from a prime location in Zone 3 of London’s transport network, close to the M1 motorway and within an hour’s travel from five London airports.
The town will be served by Brent Cross West station and Brent Cross Underground station on the Edgware branch of the Northern Line. Pedestrian and cycling routes are also available throughout Brent Cross Town.
Brent Cross Town details
Brent Cross Town, formerly known as Brent Cross South, is being developed as part of the 141-hectare (370 acres) Brent Cross Cricklewood Regeneration masterplan, which also includes Brent Cross North. Brent Cross North focuses on redeveloping the existing Brent Cross Shopping Centre and its surroundings.
Brent Cross Town will create a new, vibrant community with residential, commercial and recreational spaces. It will feature 50 acres of green areas with parks and playing fields such as Claremont Park and Exploratory Park, 6,700 new homes and a new town centre with more than 50 venues for shopping, dining and entertainment.
It will introduce 150,000ft² (13,935m²) of indoor sports amenities and three million ft² of office space to accommodate more than 25,000 people. Additionally, it will feature eight public squares, community facilities and improved pathways for walking and cycling.
The plan also includes provisions for student housing, the renovation of three local schools and the development of a new school.
Brent Cross Town hosts a temporary 8,000ft², three-storey building Visitor Pavilion, which opened in December 2021. The unique timber structure provides visitors with a glimpse into the living spaces. It will be disassembled once the project is completed.
Brent Cross Town residential buildings details
Brent Cross Town will feature a variety of residential properties, including The Ashbee and The Delamarre, which will offer a selection of studio to three-bedroom homes, ranging from 487ft² to 1,096ft², with views of Claremont Park.
The Ashbee and The Delamarre parkside apartments will together offer 277 new homes with high-quality finishes such as stone countertops, connected living with excellent Wi-Fi and mobile signals, intelligent storage and the latest technology, such as energy-efficient LEDs, underfloor heating and instant boiling water taps. The interior designs of The Ashbee and The Delamarre were influenced by the Arts & Crafts Movement and Victorian mansion blocks respectively.
Several sites within Brent Cross Town have been allocated for residential purposes. Plot 11 will accommodate 352 homes, offering a mix of duplexes and apartments, enhanced by retail outlets and restaurants at street level.
Plots 12 and 202 aim to provide a total of 290 residences, ranging from studio to four-bedroom homes. Plot 12 will consist of two structures arranged in an L shape, and Plot 202 with a U shape, each incorporating a small park with a play area for children.
Plot 13 will house six apartment complexes, inclusive of a community hub, a nursery and 365 homes.
Adjacent to Claremont Park, Plot 14 will deliver 281 residential units, from studios to three-bedroom apartments, alongside ground-floor maisonettes. Plot 15, which also overlooks Claremont Park, is set to comprise approximately 280 homes within four structures.
To the north of the forthcoming high street, Plot 25 consists of three interconnected blocks, providing 660 student bedrooms with commercial units on the ground level.
800 properties will be developed for purchase and lease, including 249 Build-to-Rent (BtR) homes. The construction of BtR homes commenced in October 2022, with availability expected in the summer of 2025.
Audley Group and Senior Living Investment Partners (SLIP) have planned Brent Cross Town’s inaugural retirement village, which is set to feature 150 homes.
Brent Cross Town office buildings
The first three office buildings at Brent Cross Town were launched in January 2021. The buildings are situated around a new main square, adjacent to the entrance of the new Brent Cross West station.
3 Copper Square, a building for educational and office use, will offer 239,000ft² of office accommodation across 14 storeys, complemented by retail space at street level. The facility is scheduled to open in the third quarter of 2026.
Sheffield Hallam University is set to initiate its inaugural campus beyond Yorkshire on the 3 Copper Square, taking up approximately an area of 110,000ft² over the lower six storeys of the building. The structure will incorporate a cross-laminated timber and concrete framework, exposing timber soffits.
2 Copper Square, a building exclusively for office use, is poised to become the UK’s most extensive full timber construction, providing 138,000ft² of workspace over nine storeys. It includes a shared rooftop terrace and a ground-floor establishment for food and beverages.
4 Brent Cross Town is a hybrid timber office structure that will extend over 247,500ft² and 13 storeys, accommodating office and retail spaces. The building is distinguished by a remarkable lantern-like feature on the rooftop.
Claremont Park and Exploratory Park details
Exploratory Park is a 0.8 hectare temporary park on the site of Plot 11, opened in August 2020. It is a recreational space in Brent Cross Town for both children and adults, featuring various indoor sports amenities.
Opened in June 2022, Claremont Park was the first permanent park to be delivered among the seven planned parks in Brent Cross Town. The 4.5-acre park incorporates the existing Claremont Way Open Space.
300 trees have been planted to bolster the local ecology. The park is a focal point for children’s activities, including a basketball hoop, and designated zones for scooting and skating. It has provisions for water features, natural trails and a kiosk. It acts as a communal area for social gatherings and is adorned with a mobile art piece called The Maze.
Sustainability details
The heat network at Brent Cross Town is anticipated to deliver low-carbon heating and hot water throughout its residential, office, retail and commercial areas. The network features the UK’s most substantial heat pump installation, setting a new benchmark for renewable heat standards in the industry.
The town has achieved a 40% reduction in embodied carbon and will utilise 100% renewable energy sources for all its energy requirements. By 2030, Brent Cross Town targets to achieve a net zero carbon status.
Contractors involved
Galldris Group is executing the groundwork and infrastructure for Brent Cross Town with Allies and Morrison crafting the masterplan. Woods Bagot is handling the interior design for the initial phase of residential buildings.
Gillespies is leading the landscape planning and the public realm masterplan. Vattenfall was commissioned to design the heat network, while Waterman Group is the principal consultant on infrastructure and environmental activities. Munnelly Support Services is providing logistics and security.
Maccreanor Lavington, Whittam Cox Architects and Townshend Landscape Architects are involved in design and architectural work across different plots. JJ Rhatigan, Glenn Howells Architects, Fusion Group, Cheyne Capital and others are also playing key roles in the development of various plots.
HTA Design is the designer of Claremont Park, and DnCO created the design for the exhibition space.
Shedkm Architects is responsible for the design of 3 Copper Square, with BAM acting as the main contractor. Hawkins Brown and Studio Egret West designed the Brent Cross Office buildings 2 and 4, respectively.
Michael Grubb Studio is managing the lighting designs, and Buro Happold is the strategic energy and utilities advisor.
Argent, in collaboration with Invesco Real Estate, will develop 800 properties for purchase and lease within the town.
A few other contractors involved in the project are Bennetts Associates, David Morley Architects, dRMM, Steer, OFR and Gardiner & Theobald.
