Peabody and London Square plan 1,200 homes at Holloway Prison

Peabody and London Square are working up plans for 1,200 homes at Holloway Prison, N7. Proposals include 60% affordable housing, with a proportion of homes dedicated to older residents and the scheme will be car-free. It includes a centre to support women in the criminal justice system, with women’s services run by local organisations and 100,000 sq ft of open space. The scheme is the first major site to come forward as part of the Ministry of Justice estates sale announced in 2015, with numbers boosted from initial expectations of around 1,000 homes. The partners have submitted an EIA scoping report to Islington Council, outlining plans for seven blocks of up to 16 storeys set around the public space. Peabody acquired the site from the Ministry of Justice in 2018, paying £82m for the 10-acre site on Parkhurst Road. Holloway Prison opened in 1852 and became the first female prison in early 1990s and the largest in Western Europe. In 2015, former justice secretary Michael Gove announced plans to close inner-city prisons and sell sites for housing, reinvesting profits in new buildings. The MoJ was expected to release land with a capacity for 5,000 homes by 2020. Last year, the National Audit Office said it was on track for just 1,300, with Holloway Prison making up the bulk of this. A joint venture between London Square and A2Dominion initially planned to acquire the site. However, this fell through and Peabody took over, backed by a £42m loan from the mayor of London’s Land Fund. Avison Young is advising on the planning application. To send feedback, e-mail emma.rosser@egi.co.uk or tweet @EmmaARosser or @estatesgazette