Vinci wins £16.5m station redevelopment

Vinci Construction UK has won a £16.5m contract to design and build a mixed-use scheme in Walthamstow, north London.

The Walthamstow Central Station scheme is a joint venture between Network Rail and Kier Property, and will include a Travelodge Hotel, retail units and 69 homes including new affordable housing.

Gavin Taylor, managing director of Vinci Construction UK – Building South, said: “This is an exciting and challenging contract win for Vinci Construction UK. It is yet another great opportunity for us to utilise our expertise in a prominent London location.”

The redevelopment has been criticised by local residents and by design watchdog Cabe, which last year said it had “serious concerns about the overall massing of the scheme, and its low architectural quality”.

However, Waltham Forest council has stood by architect Rolfe Judd’s designs.

Landscape architect Whitelaw Turkington has also designed a new public square for the centre of the site, along with a station forecourt, and a new pedestrian route.

The Solum Regeneration partnership between Kier Property and Network Rail was formed in 2008 to redevelop a number of railway stations in the South-east.

Seven sites at Epsom, Enfield, Maidstone East, Twickenham, Walthamstow, Wembley and Guildford are set for regeneration under the 10-year, £500m venture.