| Role: | Strategic Development and Operating Partner across multiple UK sites |
| Status: | Pre-development |
| Partners: | John Lewis Partnership (JLP) and abrdn |
| Uses: | Residential |
Over the last few years, Milligan has been working closely with the John Lewis Partnership (JLP) exploring opportunities within its extensive property portfolio for the development of Build to Rent apartments. This has been driven by JLP’s desire to contribute to reducing the UK housing shortage and as a way to diversify its business by becoming a fully integrated developer, owner and operator in the BTR sector.
Milligan has acted at a strategic level, helping to develop a pipeline of schemes and overseeing the first three projects from concept and through to planning. Milligan also brought global investor abrdn to the table where a £500m multi-decade joint venture has been agreed to deliver the first 1,000 homes, of the 10,000 new home ambition. The locations for the first three projects were announced in June 2022 at existing Waitrose stores in Bromley South and West Ealing and replacing a vacant John Lewis customer service centre in Mill Lane, Reading. The West Ealing and Bromley developments have been submitted for planning with decisions expected in 2024. Reading will follow with submission anticipated in early 2024.
Working closely with JLP, the Milligan team has been an integral part of the JLP client team, providing strategic oversight, overseeing the project teams and leading all aspects of the developments from design and planning, financial appraisals, to affordable housing.
It is a significant undertaking requiring all of Milligan’s expertise, creativity and ability to co-ordinate and lead large multi-disciplined teams on very complex projects.
Recently, JLP has taken over the on-site management of apartments at the first of three existing sites on behalf of funds managed by abrdn – Clarendon Quarter in Leeds, which has 325 homes. Its proposition is built on the trust, quality and high level of customer service synonymous with the John Lewis brand which will also be consistently delivered across JLP homes managed on their own sites, subject to planning permission.
