JTRE London & Southwark Charities Celebrate Breaking Ground of Edward Edwards' House

On Tuesday 27th January we celebrated with Southwark Charities and important community partners the breaking ground of Edward Edwards’ House, a new almshouse development for London at our 220 Blackfriars scheme. 

Edward Edwards’ House will deliver 64 high-quality, 100% affordable homes for older Londoners in a prime central London location. 

The development takes a new approach to almshouse design. Moving away from the traditional horseshoe layout, the homes are arranged vertically with communal spaces throughout, including a roof terrace, to increase density and improve the size and quality of the homes. 

A new publicly accessible garden and community centre provides space for events and activities that bring residents and the wider local community together and reduce social isolation. 220 Blackfriars will also provide a Charitable Hub, with space dedicated to affordable workspace for charities.

220 Blackfriars has been recognised as “best-in-class” by Savills in the 2025 London Property Association’s Social Value in the Built Environment report. Wesley Ankrah, Savills Social Value Director, described the partnership as “setting a new precedent and blazing a trail that other developers will follow” by ensuring 5% of office occupier rents go directly to Southwark Charities to be reinvested back into the community.

By providing well-designed homes for older residents in the heart of the city, the development frees up larger family homes in the local area. It is estimated that for every individual elderly family-house downsizer, two homes are made available in the housing chain. This supports the local authority to meet housing need more effectively and provide more people with appropriate, quality housing.

A ground-breaking ceremony to mark the milestone was attended by future residents, the Deputy Mayor of London, Tom Copley, representatives of Southwark Charities, Southwark Council and JTRE London.

Nigel Fleming, Managing Director of JTRE London, said: “The almhouse is a best-in-class example of collaboration between a modern, dynamic charity and a private sector developer. With the number of people aged over 65 expected to grow by 18% by 2028 in South-East London, developments like this are not just welcome, they are essential.

By delivering not just an almhouse but 220,000 sq ft of Grade A office space we are also able to help contribute to Southwark Charities’ longstanding work in the community, with 5% of the annual office rent going to their Grants scheme, which will provide welfare and education services for older-residents of Southwark. 

The project builds on JTREs longstanding commitment and track record of delivering places that enrich not only the lives of those that use the space, but the wider community, and we believe it will be a benchmark of how development can support longer-term social value.”

Chris Wilson, Chief Executive Officer of Southwark Charities, said: “This site has provided homes for older people for more than two and a half centuries. Today, we build on that heritage with a development that responds to the needs of modern Londoners. Southwark is one of the most diverse boroughs in the UK, and this development has been shaped with that context in mind. The development aims to improve access for the many communities that make up Southwark. Operations and programming will follow an inclusive approach that welcomes older people from a wide range of backgrounds. By breaking ground at 220 Blackfriars, Southwark Charities continues its enduring commitment to providing homes that offer security, companionship and dignity — just as it has done for generations.”

Tom Copley, Deputy Mayor for Housing and Residential Development, said: “I was delighted to attend the ground-breaking ceremony marking the start of construction on this exciting new almshouse development right in the heart of our city. It will deliver 64 high-quality homes at 100 per cent affordability for older Londoners alongside a new Charitable Hub, delivering fantastic benefits for residents and the local community including access to important communal spaces. The Mayor and I are committed to boosting affordable housing across London and look forward to continuing to work closely with partners to accelerate delivery as we build a better and fairer city for all.”