Strong Interest In Recently Launched Thameside Apartments

Berkeley East Thames’s sales and marketing director Lyndon Nunn tells us how Compass Wharf, their Royal Arsenal Riverside development in London, ticks all the boxes for great city living.

How have you and your team been adapting to working differently through lockdown?​

Our team has been fantastic and adapted well to the new normal. While the beginning of lockdown was slow with the housing market effectively shutting down, we were delighted with sales after it reopened and we are continuing to generate strong sales at both Royal Arsenal Riverside and Kidbrooke Village. We’ve seen good demand for our apartments from first-time buyers right through to the premium end of our accommodation. At a time when access to open space has never been more important, I think the fact our developments offer so much in terms of green space has proved a winner.

Tell us a bit about Berkeley's latest new build scheme at Royal Arsenal Riverside?

We've just launched Compass Wharf, which is one of the most exciting buildings at Royal Arsenal Riverside. Situated on the edge of the River Thames and right next to the new Maribor Park, Compass Wharf residents also have access to private gardens. We have a selection of one-, two- and three-bedroom properties and premium apartments on sale, many with their own balcony or terrace providing stunning panorama views of the river, gardens or parkland. It’s also right on the Thames Path which is perfect for those looking to run, walk or cycle to work or explore the city at the weekends, ticking a lot of boxes when it comes to healthy city living.

A lot of thought has been put into the design of the Compass Wharf apartments, what are the most 'stand-out' features for you?

The apartments are designed in line with its waterfront location, maximising the views towards the river from the living areas, bedrooms and our showstopper lantern balconies. The exteriors have a bronze façade which is really distinctive, while inside the open-plan layouts and floor-to-ceiling windows provide an abundance of natural light and bring a feeling of the outdoors coming in. We’re incredibly excited about bringing Compass Wharf to Royal Arsenal.

The apartments are set adjacent to a new four-acre park for local residents to enjoy, what else does the location offer?

It’s a really vibrant area with lots on offer for residents. There’s a regular farmers’ market, on-site amenities such as a Sainsbury’s local, M&S Foodstore, Tesco and great pubs and restaurants, as well as a range of health and wellbeing activities on offer from yoga and pilates classes to the fantastic residents-only Waterside Club and gym. The forthcoming Creative District – which will be located on the development and match London's South Bank in size once complete – will mean that new theatres and studios showcasing a variety of arts and entertainment will be counted among our neighbours.

The connectivity of the site is another massive pull for residents. The new on-site Crossrail Station will provide journey times of 20 minutes to central London and just eight minutes to Canary Wharf. Other transport options include the DLR and the Thames Clipper for those who prefer a more scenic route, as well as great cycle paths.

But perhaps the most important thing is that there’s a strong sense of community at Royal Arsenal Riverside and the Covid-19 crisis has really demonstrated this, with community groups coming together to help residents in need during the lockdown.

With an increased trend of working at home for the foreseeable future, do the apartments offer options to 'flex' living space to create workspaces or studies?

Yes, our apartments can be flexible when it comes to working from home, which is very important in the current climate. In our larger apartments, the second or third bedrooms can easily be transformed into large studies or workspaces, while some of our buildings at Royal Arsenal Riverside and Kidbrooke Village also enjoy access to shared workspaces for those that prefer a shared working environment.

Do you offer assistance or sign-up to schemes aimed at helping buyers onto the property ladder?

Yes, we've offered Help to Buy on our schemes for a long time now and it's proven very successful, with many people already living in earlier phases at our developments as a result of Help to Buy. To keep the housing market buoyant post-lockdown, it's important that first-time buyers in particular have as much support as possible, so we’re currently offering Help to Buy on a wide range of properties at both Kidbrooke Village and Royal Arsenal Riverside.

We also have selected homes available through a Discount Mark Sale (DMS) scheme – delivered in partnership with the Royal Borough of Greenwich – where eligible buyers pay just 70% of market rate with only a 5% deposit.

And finally, what's next for Royal Arsenal Riverside and Kidbrooke Village in 2020?

Our big focus recently has been on the sales launch of Compass Wharf at Royal Arsenal Riverside, but 2020 also has a lot in store for Kidbrooke Village with some fantastic new homes to launch later in the year. Kidbrooke Village [https://www.whathouse.com/housebuilders/berkeley/london-greenwich/kidbrooke-village/] is one of the greenest and most sustainable new developments in London. It sits in 136 acres of parkland and open space, comprising areas of grassland, meadow and wetland, and we’ve been working with London Wildlife Trust, experts in biodiversity, to help develop us develop the site so it is rich in plant and wildlife.

Find out more about Royal Arsenal Riverside from Berkeley Homes.

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