Mount Anvil’s Hampstead Manor scheme in north London is served by a chauffeur-driven Mercedes that shuttles residents to local Tube stations by day and the theatre by night. It is booked by the concierge on a first-come, first-served basis. The cost is covered by the service charge and is a cheaper alternative to buying one of the 92 underground parking spaces, which cost £50,000. Sales director Jon Hall says Mount Anvil made the decision early on to provide a dedicated town car. “Many of our residents are frequent taxi users and are eco-conscious, so by allocating a private car to the scheme we are upholding convenience and efficiency with a touch of luxury.” Sales have been brisk with only a few of the 156 homes – set in and around the five restored Grade II listed buildings – remaining. Prices start from £755,000 for a one-bedroom flat. “Developers are keenly aware of high net worth buyers’ requirements for making life as easy as possible,” says Penny Mosgrove, chief executive of Quintessentially Estates. Some are even incentivising buyers to go green with their cars. At Fulham Riverside in south west London, Barratt Homes is giving a year’s free membership of a car pool scheme offering four electric Golf GTE cars.
John Tutte, CEO of Redrow, is calling for a standardised planning approach to parking. “In London, fewer people want or need a car parking space and having to incorporate them in some boroughs and not in others is inconsistent and has an impact on density.” Housing developers are increasingly meeting the needs of eco-friendly car owners, especially in the luxury market. Some, such as London’s Battersea Place, offer a car pool service as well as a chauffeur, while at Barratt Homes development Fulham Riverside in south-west London, a year's free membership of a car pool scheme is included. In Cambridge, housebuilder Hill is offering a £50 driving credit for a Zipcar scheme close to its Magna development, and even 18th-century Woolley House in Dorset comes with a solar-powered car charging point.