Parkside, Watford shortlisted for the best shared ownership development at Inside Housing Development Awards
Thrive Homes is delighted to announce that our flagship development, Parkside in Watford, has been shortlisted for Best Shared Ownership Development at the 2025 Inside Housing Development Awards.
Parkside represents a bold transformation of a former bus garage into 127 high-spec, affordable homes—originally approved for private sale but reimagined entirely as shared ownership due to grant funding from Homes England through the Accent Partnership. This strategic shift reflects Thrive’s unwavering commitment to making homeownership accessible without compromising on quality, design, or lifestyle.
Located adjacent to Garston Park, Parkside offers spacious open-plan apartments with private outdoor spaces, integrated appliances, and energy-efficient systems. Residents benefit from green roofs, communal allotments, wildflower gardens, and excellent transport links—creating a vibrant, inclusive neighbourhood that supports wellbeing and environmental care.
Innovative features such as QR-coded appliance guides and a partnership with MySafeHome, which supports disabled buyers excluded from employment, ensure Parkside is as inclusive as it is aspirational. With strong sales driven by local demand and a consistent 33% first-time buyer purchase rate, Parkside stands as a model for what shared ownership can achieve.
Chantelle Barker, Director of Development at Thrive Homes, said:
“Parkside is more than a development—it’s a statement of what’s possible when ambition meets purpose. We’re proud to be shortlisted and even prouder of the community we’ve helped build.”
The Inside Housing Development Awards celebrate excellence across the UK housing sector, recognising projects that deliver real impact. Winners will be announced later this year.
Stay tuned for updates—and congratulations to everyone involved in bringing Parkside to life!
