Ilford Western Gateway JV Partnership

The Council is seeking a PSP to realise its ambitions to deliver regeneration across Ilford Town Centre. The Ilford Western Gateway site is the flagship site in the town centre and will deliver a residential led, mix use development including up to 1,000 new homes, alongside commercial and community uses. The Council’s overall vision for the Western Gateway is to create:

‘A world class liveable and sustainable neighbourhood in a world class city. Beautiful well designed connected garden spaces used by people enjoying living, cultural, learning, shopping, and leisure experiences through the day and evening’

The Council is actively driving regeneration in the town centre having already invested in the Cultural Quarter and other parts of the high street. The Council has also developed a spatial framework for the Western Gateway site which sets out the placemaking principles that the development will need to have regard to. The principles put public realm first and green connected spaces at the heart of the framework and the Council is actively committed to investing in the realignment of the road gyratory, creating more of a street network, which will in turn unlock the vision for the Western Gateway.

The Council is seeking to procure a PSP with whom to establish a 50/50 JV to deliver its aspirations for the Western Gateway. The partnership arrangement will see the Council investing its land into the JV as equity with the option to provide additional cash equity where required. It is expected that the PSP will provide finance and services to the JV. Services will include (but not limited to) development management. The PSP will receive a fee for the services it provides to the JV. The JV, the PSP (or a member of its group or consortium) may also provide construction works and services to the Council.

The Council may require the JV, PSP (or a member of its group or consortium) to manage the delivery of works associated with changes to the gyratory.

The Council and PSP’s interest is in the JV will be established through the procurement process but as set out in the Key Commercial Principles document and draft contract documents (available on the Portal), it is envisaged that both partners will hold an equal equity interest and will jointly make decisions to drive forward the delivery of the site. The preferred structure and governance arrangements are also set out in the Key Commercial Principles document.

The Council has significant land ownership across the site, though there are other landowners with interests in the site. However, the Council is in already in dialogue with each of the landowners and have passed a resolution to undertake a Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) to bring all land interests under its ownership should this be necessary. This will enable the delivery of comprehensive development across which is required to realise the regeneration ambitions of the Council for this area. The PSP will be required to support the Council in land assembly activities as required once the JV has been formed.

Furthermore the Council may choose to offer the JV other sites in the town centre or across the borough for housing development, alongside the JV providing construction services for community assets. Future opportunities will be offered to the JV at the Council’s discretion.

Further details of this opportunity are set out in the procurement documents. Please see Section V1.3 for details relating to the procurement documents being released at this stage. Additional information: The procurement will be conducted in accordance with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 as amended, and successor legislation which may follow, using the competitive dialogue procedure as set out in Regulation 30 of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015.