An intergenerational housing development in Hackney has been announced winner at the 2021 Inside Housing Development Awards.

Anchor’s Walrond House in Newington Green scooped up the Best Urban Regeneration Project award at an awards ceremony on 4th November at the InterContinental Hotel in London. The development was also a finalist in the Best Urban-London Development category.

Anchor, England’s largest not-for-profit provider of housing and care for people living in later life, was delighted to be honoured at the awards which celebrate the very best residential developments across the UK. Last month the development also took home the Small Development of the Year award at the 2021 HealthInvestor UK Senior Housing Awards.

Walrond House, named after the famous Afro-Caribbean Harlem Renaissance writer and journalist, Eric D Walrond, who lived locally until his death in 1966, is a truly intergenerational housing scheme. It consists of 72 residential apartments, of which 28 are affordable rent apartments for older people, 12 shared ownership and 32 outright sale non-age restricted apartments.

Nick Hodgskin, Senior Development Manager at Anchor, said: “We’re absolutely thrilled to have won Best Urban Regeneration Project at the Inside Housing Development Awards! This intergenerational project has had a huge impact on many different groups throughout the community.

“Winning this award is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our colleagues at Anchor who create places where people love living in later life.”

The regeneration project also includes a new community resource centre, a public square and retail and commercial space. The resource centre, a much-needed addition to the area, provides space for social enterprises including wellbeing initiatives, employment and skills training and after-school activities. Working closely with Hackney Council, the Greater London Assembly and the local community, Anchor completed the project in August 2020.