SURREY ROW, BANKSIDE

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DEVELOPER
Deco Design and Build and Premier Homes Ltd

LOCATION
Surrey Row, Bermondsey

STAGE
Phase o­ne complete, phase two will be finished 2004

SCALE
Sixteen live/work units, with eight new-build live/work units to the rear

DIVISION OF LIVE/WORK SPACE
66:33 to 33:66 live work split for ground floor (larger) units and upper units respectively. Live and work accommodation is arranged o­n separate floors with no need to go through the residential parts to access work space

GETTING PLANNING CONSENT
The railway side line site, which was zoned for employment uses, was occupied by a cheque printing works and warehouse employing between o­ne and five individuals during the last decade that it was operating. However it was difficult to market because of poor lorry access. North Star director Edward Heldreich says planning consent was relatively easy to secure as the consent was obtained prior to Southwark’s clampdown o­n live work development

FUNDING
Privately funded with bank loan from Barclays Bank who were initially reluctant to fund the development. Parent company North Star provided 30 per cent of the site value and half of the development capital. Edward Heldreich says: 'A senior executive from Barclays came down to check out the project and said he would like to buy a couple of flats. I had to point out to him that we needed funding before he could do that.'

TARGET MARKET
Creative, young professionals

NETWORKING/CLUSTERING?
A gym has been provided in the building's basement that is available for use free of charge by residents and workers

VIABILITY
All the units were sold soon after completion in 1999 and three have been sold o­n since

TENURE
Currently the building is o­n a 999 year lease, managed by agents GL Hearn and Partners. The residents are currently arranging to buy out the freehold under the government's leasehold enfranchisement legislation

EMPLOYMENT IMPACT
Approximately 40 people work at the development.

ICT
CAT 5 cabled

DEFINING FEATURES
Surrey Row was planned with a clear delineation of live and work uses following pressure from Southwark council planners. 'The planners insisted that we delineate the space o­nto separate floors and they were right because it helps to prevent disputes over issues like noise,' says North Star director Edward Heldreich.

CONTACT
North Star director Edward Heldreich o­n 020 8313 1411