BackLGIM Real Assets (Legal & General) announces that Blackhorse Mills, its 479-home Build to Rent scheme in Walthamstow, has become the first ever residential building to achieve a WiredScore Gold certification.
Wiredscore, an international rating scheme working within the real estate sector, awarded L&G’s Blackhorse Mills scheme the highest accolade its ever awarded for digital connectivity on a residential building demonstrating a commitment to reliable, instant connectivity and for providing customers with a seamless digital experience.
Connectivity highlights include high quality digital infrastructure, a fibre internet connection to every apartment, Wi-Fi throughout the scheme and Ethernet ports in living spaces. This means renters can use wired connections for their devices, and there is less risk of outages or poor connections. Residents of Blackhorse Mills are also able to get connected from the day they move in with a choice of different packages, providing ultimate flexibility.
Blackhorse Mills, completed earlier this year, is a unique waterside rental destination, providing residents with access to large, communal workspaces; private hire meeting rooms; a yoga studio; games room; gym; swimming pool; and views over the neighbouring Walthamstow Wetlands. Designed in close consultation with Walthamstow Council, the site includes 104 affordable homes, with a dedicated number of these reserved specifically for key workers.
Dan Batterton, Head of BTR at LGIM Real Assets, said:
“I am proud that our Blackhorse Mills scheme has been recognised for its hyper-connectivity, providing residents with a seamless digital experience and future-proofing our investment for years to come.
“The anticipated continuation of home working beyond the current lockdown has demonstrated the need for residential properties to be equipped with a fast, reliable internet connection. We expect that as the lockdown eases, digital connectivity and dual working-and-living spaces will become a priority for renters, making Blackhorse Mills an ideal base for remote workers.”
WiredScore Home empowers landlords and developers to improve the digital connectivity of their properties, helping them to understand how to implement best-in-class digital infrastructure. The rating scheme helps landlords to save time and money by reducing the risk of expensive retrofits in the future as well as offering renters transparency and assurance.
Launched in May 2019, WiredScore Home currently has over 10,000 homes committed to certification, with the likes of GreyStar, Argent, LaSalle, L&G, Patrizia and Long Harbour amongst others. It is the first digital connectivity rating scheme for the Build to Rent market.
William Newton, President and managing director for WiredScore, said:
“Undertaking this commitment demonstrates the forward-thinking approach that has been taken. LGIM Real Assets has recognised the immense value of investing in flexible and reliable digital infrastructure as part of their mission to provide a superior in-home experience for their renters. This is essential as technology continues to advance and change, and people’s lives become more reliant on their digital connections.”
At the UK launch of WiredScore Home, Rt Hon Jeremy Wright MP, the then Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, highlighted the importance of residential connectivity for the UK. He stated: "When it comes to building new homes, we need to make sure that digital connectivity is seen as just as essential as bricks and mortar. These are the foundations upon which a modern digital economy is built.”
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