The long game: partnerships built to outlast change

NLA Place Partnerships Conference

Following the NLA Place Partnerships Conference, Stephanie Smith, Head of Residential at Muse, reflects on what the day revealed about how partnerships can weather the storm for long-term success, through changing economic, political and community priorities.

When it comes to regeneration, the one constant is time. There is no overnight fix to tackle the environmental, social and economic challenges in places where the market has failed. An investment spanning fifteen to twenty-five years will outlast political administrations, absorb economic shocks and serve communities that will change from inception to completion. Time is not just the horizon; it is the challenge. What the NLA Place Partnerships Conference made clear is that the best partnerships are set up to weather these changes and still deliver on the original promise.

In our experience, that takes three things: an aligned vision rooted in purpose, a readiness to adapt when conditions inevitably change, and community engagement that starts early and never stops. Our recently completed Stroudley Walk neighbourhood in Bromley-by-Bow tested all three.

One vision, rooted in purpose

The partnerships that last are formed for a reason. They start by assessing the specific context and challenges of a place and its communities, and then aligning the right structure, partners and funding. That shared purpose is what keeps momentum and alignment even when conditions change.

Stroudley Walk is a site that had stood derelict for decades, with past regeneration attempts failing to overcome viability and local concern. Together with Poplar HARCA and the GLA, our vision for Stroudley Walk was to deliver a truly affordable and accessible neighbourhood rooted in community need. That clarity mattered not just at inception but throughout delivery. When challenges inevitably arose, every partner understood what was non-negotiable and why. This resulted in a 274-home neighbourhood, 50% affordable, including affordable homes designed for families with children with autism.

That same principle underpins Habiko, our strategic partnership with Pension Insurance Corporation and Homes England. Habiko was designed with a clear purpose: to deliver affordable and sustainable homes. The partnership already has plans to deliver 3,000 homes over the next twelve years.

A readiness to adapt

Stroudley Walk was delivered when building safety regulations were changing rapidly. Despite new requirements for a second staircase in tall buildings not applying to the scheme yet, we decided to redesign the 25-storey Upper East tower to include one anyway. It was a complex change, which we made because it was the right thing for residents’ safety. The strength of the partnership with Poplar HARCA meant we shared a determination to succeed and could face difficult conversations head-on. It also meant this change could be made without losing momentum, and Upper East became one of the first tall residential towers in London to complete after the new requirements were introduced.

Continued community engagement

When we talk about partnerships, the conversation tends to focus on the developer, investor, local authority and housing association. But, the community is who regeneration is for. Their support can de-risk developments through changes that a twenty-year programme will face.

Ongoing community engagement is essential to long-term local support. Partnerships are a powerful mechanism, as local authority and housing association partners bring a level of local understanding that developers cannot achieve alone. Poplar HARCA has deep roots in Bromley-by-Bow, which shaped Stroudley Walk from the outset. Now the neighbourhood is complete, conversations with residents are ongoing, to ensure the place can adapt as community priorities do.

Built to last

London’s regeneration ambitions will not be met by any single organisation, nor within a single political cycle. They will be met by partnerships designed to fit the place, and build communities that thrive long after the partnership has ended.