Update on Riverwell development in Watford

Watford Borough Council has provided an update on the Riverwell scheme which is seeing derelict land by Watford General Hospital and Watford FC’s stadium regenerated.

Around 1,000 new homes will be built alongside a primary school, community centre, shops, and a retirement village.

A multi-storey car park will be built for the hospital on former allotment land, with the existing hospital car park being used for homes and a school.

Last month, the developers behind the 255-room retirement home, Mayfield, shared some images of its site as construction gets underway.

Credit: Mayfield

Construction is now progressing

It may be a building site at the moment but Mayfield has promised a “fresh, modern, and contemporary” retirement village by 2022, which will come with a swimming pool, bar, bistro and other facilities.

How the retirement village is expected to look once completed

Elsewhere, Bellway Homes has begun building the first 144 apartments which will be a mix of one, two, and three bedroom.

The homes will begin to go on sale this autumn.

In total, 408 homes will be built as part of the Waterside phase.

Waterside

Waterside also includes 50 one and two-bed apartments and 142 two and three-bed houses, of which 35 per cent will be set aside as affordable housing.

Construction of those 192 homes will begin in the spring and be built on the former Farm Terrace Allotments.

CGI of the Waterside scheme

Former Farm Terrace Allotments in the background

A community centre will also be created alongside communal gardens.

Woodlands, the first residential phase of the Riverwell scheme, was completed in 2019, providing 66 one, two, and three-bed apartments for private sale and a further 29 affordable homes, which are owned and managed by Watford Community Housing.

Woodlands is almost fully occupied with only eight apartments left for sale.

Completed Woodlands flats. Credit: Eric Johnson