Plans for 90 new affordable homes on Peartree Lane took a step forward after Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council awarded a design contract for the scheme. The council’s Executive Director for Place, Zayd Al-Jawad, approved the direct award to LSI Architects on 26 June 2026, with the decision published on 2 July.
The contract covers landscape design, building regulations and construction design management principal designer services. LSI Architects, an AJ100 practice with around 70 staff split between Norwich and London, will deliver the work through the Fusion21 Construction Consultancy Services Framework, which runs until 21 September 2029 and holds a total value of up to £175 million.
The Peartree Lane scheme sits beside the existing YMCA hostel at number 90, where a separate £14 million redevelopment is already underway. That project, supported by One YMCA, Hertfordshire County Council and Homes England, replaces the long‑standing supported accommodation with 100 self‑contained studios and life‑skill development areas for vulnerable adults. The council ranked first in England outside London for council home completions in 2023/24, delivering 159 homes, 139 of which were for social rent.
Both Peartree Lane projects form part of the council’s wider Affordable Housing Programme, which draws on a mix of new‑builds, property acquisitions, joint ventures and redevelopments to grow the borough’s stock. A timeline for construction of the 90 homes has not yet been announced, but the design contract signals the scheme is advancing through the early planning stages.
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