House builder and investor buy sites for 1,934 build-to-rent and social homes in Brent

At the Dollis Hill site, a college campus on Dudden Hill Lane will be replaced with a series of buildings ranging from four to 28 storeys, providing up to 1,627 homes for BTR, social rent and private sale.

The development will have retail and commercial facilities and a new park. Two existing public parks will be transformed into playground facilities.

There will also be a new community centre, a nursery, a gym, local shops, cafes and co-working spaces.

The site will be designed to be car-free, with new footpaths, cycleways, cycle storage and a car club for residents.

The social rent homes across both developments – 154 homes in total – will be acquired by housing association Sovereign Network Group. Grant funding for the social rent homes will be provided by the Greater London Authority through its Homes for Londoners Fund.

Work on the first phase of the project is expected to begin in spring 2026.

According to The Hill Group, the homes will be equivalent to 84% of Brent’s annual housing requirement under the London Plan.

The project will also allow United Colleges Group to build a new purpose-built educational campus on Olympic Way in Wembley, forming part of a wider strategy to consolidate its premises.

The Hill Group completed more than 2,800 homes in the last financial year and has a development pipeline of over 32,000 homes, including 10,200 with planning consent. Around half of its portfolio is in joint ventures to build mixed-tenure developments, including with the government, local authorities, housing associations and private clients.

Pinnacle Investments is 50% owned by housing association Hyde Group.

Andy Hill, founder and chief executive of Hill, said: “At a time when housebuilding has substantially stalled in London, we are working tirelessly with our partners to bring forward new developments, such as these two sites in Wembley and Dollis Hill.

“Together, we are unlocking the potential of these sites to deliver much-needed homes in the capital, while transforming the area to develop new and enhanced public realm and provide essential community amenities that enable sustainable and thriving new neighbourhoods.”

Earlier this year, Mr Hill warned of “a real risk” of latent defects in taller BTR buildings. The chief executive said collapsing contractors and tightening fire safety regulations pose a serious risk to BTR schemes.

Last summer, Hill reported a 29% rise in profits for the previous year as it entered the BTR market. It reported revenue of £1.2bn and a profit before tax of £90.5m for the financial year 2024-25.