Swanley High Street

Number/street name:
27-37 High Street

Address line 2:

City:
Swanley

Postcode:
BR8 8AE

Architect:
Bell Phillips

Architect contact number:
02072349330

Developer:
Sevenoaks District Council.

Contractor:
Guildmore

Planning Authority:
Sevenoaks District Council

Planning Reference:
19/03543/FUL

Date of Completion:
05/2023

Schedule of Accommodation:
12 x 1 bed flats; 5 x 2 bed flats

Tenure Mix:
100% affordable rent

Total number of homes:
17

Site size (hectares):
0.143

Net Density (homes per hectare):
118

Size of principal unit (sq m):
51

Smallest Unit (sq m):
44

Largest unit (sq m):
81

No of parking spaces:
9

Scheme PDF Download

Planning History

Planning application submitted 20 December 2019
Full planning permission granted 22 May 2020

The Design Process

This mixed use development on Swanley High Street brings together a co-working space/business hub and 17 new homes for affordable rent. The development makes productive re-use of a vacant town centre site, and is a model for local authorities looking to take control of assets in their area to drive regeneration, support local workers and businesses, and deliver new homes.

The project occupies a brownfield site in a key high street location. A mixture of one and two bed homes addresses local housing needs, while the new business hub enhances the vibrancy and economic viability of the high street. Its flexible layout means that it can offer attractive space to small businesses and start-ups, as well fulfilling a post-pandemic need from individuals for co-working space in a convenient town centre location.

Bell Phillips’ three-storey, contextual development uses a refined palette of neutral hues to present a restrained yet confident street elevation, with inset balconies and recesses picking up the rhythm of the surrounding streetscape. On closer inspection, a rich layering of materials becomes evident, with glazed bricks used against the backdrop of buff masonry to articulate entrances and balcony openings.

The ground floor business hub/co-working space – known as The Meeting Point - is accessed directly from Swanley High Street, and provides 247 sq.m of flexible commercial space. As well as supporting local small businesses and start-ups, it can also provide a supportive setting for individuals who want to be able to work flexibly or for whom home working is not possible. A garden to the rear of the ground floor is designed to be shared between commercial and residential tenants, offering over 340 sq.m of landscaped social space where people can meet and relax. The apartments on the upper floors also provide residents with their own private balcony space.