Farewell 2025 – Looking forward to 2026
A series of planning consents secured across London and beyond highlights Terrapin’s effective engagement-led approach and closes 2025 on a high.
The final working hours of 2025 delivered another major success for Terrapin’s clients. On New Year’s Eve, Cresswick’s The Sidings scheme in East Dulwich secured its Section 106 agreement and formal planning consent, bringing to a close a long and detailed planning journey. The consent will deliver 361 purpose-built student rooms, 51 affordable homes—70% of which are family-sized—and 1,220m² of light industrial and affordable workspace on a brownfield site alongside the railway line.
From Committee to Completion
Terrapin has supported The Sidings scheme since the earliest stages of the planning process, developing a strategy for community, political and stakeholder engagement. Planning permission was granted by Southwark councillors at committee in April, but our work did not end there. We continued to assist through the complex and often protracted Section 106 process, culminating in its successful signing at the very end of the working day on the final day of 2025.
A Remarkable December
The consent for The Sidings capped a highly successful December for Terrapin. Early in the month, Redbridge’s planning committee granted permission for a transformative regeneration of the Newton Industrial Estate, delivering around 200 new homes (45% affordable), light industrial workspace, a community centre and landscaped gardens. This was followed by approval in Barking and Dagenham for a mixed-use development of around 100 homes, flexible community and commercial space, and outdoor amenity space on the former White Horse pub site in Chadwell Heath. Just before Christmas, councillors in Croydon granted consent for the regeneration of Woburn and Bedford Courts in central Croydon—one of Terrapin’s long-standing projects. This sensitive scheme will deliver 445 high-quality homes across four buildings ranging from 5 to 32 storeys, alongside flexible community spaces, a landscaped central square and extensive planting around the site.
Flexibility Across Communities
Securing four planning consents in a single month, across four different council areas and serving four very different local communities, demonstrates the flexibility and capability of Team Terrapin. Our approach centres on developing bespoke strategies for working with residents, stakeholders, politicians and officers, bringing parties together to build support and smooth the path to consent. It is not always easy, but it is an approach that consistently delivers results.
Beyond London
Terrapin’s successes in autumn 2025 were not confined to London. In rural Sussex, we secured consent for a non-policy-compliant scheme on the outskirts of Wisborough Green in Chichester District. The development will deliver ten new homes on land previously dominated by redundant greenhouses, demonstrating our ability to adapt our engagement and planning strategy to very different contexts.
Engagement That Goes Further
We have also continued to work with clients whose priorities extend beyond securing planning permission. At Harbour Village in Northfleet, North Kent, we have led community engagement since before Covid on one of the most deprived council estates in the South East. As part of this work, the run-up to Christmas included the delivery of hampers to the local primary school in support of its Christmas raffle—small gestures that can have a meaningful local impact.
Looking at the Bigger Picture
Working in the planning arena can make it easy to focus on drawings and policy rather than what comes next. To meet the government’s “Build Baby Build” ambitions, a more skilled workforce and a resilient supply chain for building materials will be essential. During the autumn, Terrapin began work on a programme introducing MPs to the challenges faced by suppliers in their constituencies. While extracting and manufacturing materials may not be glamorous, it is vital to meeting national housing targets. Terrapin enters 2026 with strong momentum and a growing pipeline of future projects.
Key Takeaways
- The Sidings scheme in East Dulwich secured Section 106 and planning consent at the very end of 2025
- Four major planning consents were achieved in December across multiple London boroughs
- Terrapin’s tailored engagement approach enables success across very different communities
- Further consents were secured outside London, including rural Sussex
- Terrapin enters 2026 with strong momentum and a growing pipeline of future projects
Explore More Insights
Discover more articles on planning policy, community engagement, and the political landscape shaping development.