United Living begin main building work at Lisson Arches site

Yesterday (Thursday 10th September), Cllr Melvyn Caplan, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance, Property and Regeneration, visited Lisson Arches construction site, which is in the first phase of building projects that are part of the council’s wider Church Street regeneration programme.

Cllr Caplan had a tour of the site which over the next 18 months will deliver 59 new homes and local enterprise space, to see how things were progressing, as contractors United Living start work on the next stage of construction, taking over from previous contractors FM Conway.

The team at FM Conway who carried out enabling works navigated some difficult challenges on site by building an innovative, concrete structures several metres below the ground, to protect major underground utilities essential to the capital

The new homes at Lisson Arches include assisted-living homes for local residents.  These will provide better quality housing to residents of neighbouring Penn House, without requiring them to move out of the area.

Completion of the complex enabling works at Lisson Arches has meant that United Living have been able to start the main building work.  Construction commenced at the start of August with the new homes at Lisson Arches scheduled to be ready in spring 2022.

Cllr Melvyn Caplan said:

“The new assisted living homes at Lisson Arches will significantly improve living environments for existing residents of Penn House, providing modern well-equipped new homes for older people in the area as well as much-needed new enterprise space for small businesses and start-ups.  It is great to see what the FM Conway team have achieved to progress this much-anticipated scheme, and the work underway by United Living to get the buildings out of the ground.

“With building work moving forward we are one step closer to delivering 1,850 new affordable homes in Westminster by 2023 and making this a City for All.”

Gordon O’Regan, Managing Director at United Living New Homes, said:

“We are proud to be supporting Westminster City Council’s Church Street Regeneration programme though our work at Lisson Arches. This development will create much needed new affordable homes, along with new affordable business and enterprise space, which supports the Council’s wider goals of driving transformational change and supporting the community in the Church Street area. These objectives complement our core company values, and we look forward to working close in partnership with the Council in delivering this.”

Saulius Jausicas, FM Conway Project Manager said:

“With the major structural works needed at Lisson Arches, we always knew this project would be challenging. Although demanding from an engineering perspective, we are happy with the end result and feel confident that we are handing over a safe and clean site to United Living who will go forward with the scheme.”

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Notes to Editors

• Lisson Arches is the first phase of the Church Street Regeneration programme.  Church Street is a vibrant area in the heart of Westminster made up of a thriving high street market, local businesses, and a strong sense of community. This programme has been implemented to support the current and future community of Church Street to live and work somewhere with better homes and greater opportunities.
• The Church Street Regeneration programme overall will deliver around 1,850 new homes, greener and more pedestrianised spaces, community halls and sports areas to support the health and wellbeing of those living in the area.