Acton Gardens, South Acton W3
Delivered by Acton Gardens LLP, the joint venture of Countryside and L&Q, while Robert Barton was its first project director.
Acton Gardens is the regeneration of the post-war South Acton estate in Ealing: a 52-acre site rebuilt in phases as a mixed-tenure neighbourhood of new homes, streets and open space.
The South Acton estate was a post-war council estate of tower blocks and maisonettes. Ealing Council chose to rebuild it with a development partner, with all existing tenants and leaseholders to be rehoused in the new homes.
That partner is Acton Gardens LLP, a joint venture between L&Q and Countryside. The masterplan was approved in 2012 as a 15-year programme in 11 phases. An updated masterplan approved in 2019 raised the total to just over 3,800 homes.
- Original masterplan consent
- 2,340 homes
- Masterplan approved
- 2012
- Tenure mix
- Private sale, social rent, shared ownership
- Location
- South Acton, W3
Robert Barton's role
Rob describes the start of the scheme in one line on his own portfolio: "Won competitive bid and set-up JV between Countryside and L&Q."
As the joint venture's first project director, he secured masterplan consent for 2,340 homes and delivered the first phase of 197 homes, as he lists it.
That order of work applies to any estate or large site. Win the land on terms that work. Set up the partnership so each side's money, risk and decisions are clear. Then take a phased masterplan through planning, so the first homes can start while later phases are still being designed.
The first phase matters most. Residents, the council and buyers judge the whole scheme by it.
How this experience works for your site
Rob now leads Craftex's development partnerships with landowners, investors and family offices. The steps he took at Acton Gardens are the steps we take for clients as a development partner: securing land through land acquisition, options and promotion, testing what a site can carry with a feasibility study and site appraisal, and running the scheme through development management.
We work on schemes from £3M to £150M GDV. Depending on the stage, Craftex can co-invest, take 100% of the risk, or work for a fee or a percentage.
Comparing partners for a site? Our guide on how to choose a development partner sets out the checks to run, including whose track record you are actually buying. This one belongs to Rob personally; we show it so you know who would lead your scheme.
Send us the address and what you know about the site. Our development team will tell you what it could support, and how we would take it forward. The appraisal is free.
Scheme photos
Photo credits
Independent photographs, published under open licences. They are not Craftex photographs and do not imply endorsement by the photographers.
New apartment blocks on Bollo Bridge Road, South Acton, 2020. Photo: David Howard, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Geograph.
New flats beside open space at South Acton, 2012. Photo: Alan Murray-Rust, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Geograph.
The South Acton estate before redevelopment, 2012. Photo: Alan Murray-Rust, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Geograph.
New flats on Bollo Lane, South Acton, 2020. Photo: David Howard, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Geograph.
New flats at South Acton, 2012. Photo: Alan Murray-Rust, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Geograph.
Grahame Tower on the South Acton estate in 2012, since demolished. Photo: Robin Webster, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Geograph.
Acton Gardens under construction, 2020. Photo: David Howard, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Geograph.
Frequently asked questions
What is Acton Gardens?
Acton Gardens is the regeneration of the former South Acton estate in the London Borough of Ealing. It is delivered by Acton Gardens LLP, a joint venture between L&Q and Countryside, and replaces the estate with new mixed-tenure homes, streets and open space across a 52-acre site.
How many homes is Acton Gardens building?
The masterplan approved in 2012 was for 2,340 homes over about 15 years, in 11 phases. An updated masterplan approved in 2019 raised the total to just over 3,800 homes.
What was Robert Barton's role at Acton Gardens?
He won the competitive bid, set up the joint venture between Countryside and L&Q and was its first project director. In that role he secured masterplan consent for 2,340 homes and delivered the first phase of 197 homes. This was before he joined Craftex.
Can Craftex help with an estate regeneration or a large residential site?
Yes. We work with landowners, investors and developers on schemes from £3M to £150M GDV, from site appraisal and planning through to delivery. Send us your site for a free appraisal and our development team will come back to you.
Our team
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Sviatoslav is a self-made entrepreneur with a degree in mechanical engineering and over 10 years of hands-on experience in the UK construction industry. Starting as a demolition labourer and carpenter on London job sites, he personally worked through every stage of the building process — from groundwork and fit-out to project planning, estimating, procurement, and full-scale management.
This unique, bottom-up experience allows him to run projects with maximum efficiency, clear communication, and minimal friction — both on site and with clients.
Under his leadership, Craftex has delivered high-end residential and commercial projects across London, known for their snag-free finishes, smooth execution, and strong pre-construction planning.
Today, Sviatoslav oversees the company's operations and delivery teams while spearheading its expansion into design & build and high-value commercial sectors, including office fit-outs, data centres, and property development ventures.
Clients value his deep technical insight, clear leadership, and relentless focus on delivering clean results — on time, on budget, and to the highest standard.
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Rob leads Craftex's development partnerships with landowners, investors and family offices.
Over 20 years he has held Managing Director and Land Director roles at plc housebuilders, including Berkeley Homes, Countryside and St Modwen, and has been directly responsible for delivering more than 3,000 private homes, 1,000 affordable homes and 750 build-to-rent homes. His schemes include Acton Gardens (2,340 homes), St Andrew's Park, Uxbridge (1,340 homes) and the Old Vinyl Factory, Hayes.
Rob has served as a non-executive director of three housing associations and two private housebuilders. He holds a first-class engineering degree, a postgraduate diploma in financial strategy from Oxford, an MBA from London Business School and a Master of Studies from Cambridge, where his research focused on AI in construction.
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Joe has 37 years of experience working on both the commercial and operational side of construction. His previous works cover multiple sectors, including high-end residential refurbishments, new build construction, and commercial property renovations. Examples include the fit-out of Dior’s flagship store on Bond Street and residential developments in Belgravia. Budgets have also varied, with projects ranging from £100K to £135M. This experience and the transferrable skills gained enable Joe to successfully manage any project, regardless of type, style, or value.
At Craftex, Joe is responsible for ensuring the smooth operation of all designs and builds. With a collaborative approach and strategic thinking, he ensures our high standards and happy customers are maintained. He is heavily involved in developing and implementing innovative procurement solutions, as well as envisaging any potential problems along the way for proactive and preventative project management. Joe also takes on the role of influencing the design process and supporting development in others, passing on his wealth of skills and knowledge to the team.
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Martin has over 50 years of experience in construction having started in the industry as a labourer at the age of 16. Since then, he progressed to site manager before running his own company from 1987 to 1996. Turning to contracts management shortly after, Martin now has 18 years of experience in the role. During this time, he has led multiple high-quality building projects, with a particular passion for sustainable methods and technological advancements in construction.
At Craftex, Martin is responsible for preconstruction and project management, offering innovative solutions and ensuring all aspects of the projects run smoothly. He is also pivotal in the implementation of digital solutions and SAAS tools, enabling more efficient project management and process analysis, besides pushing us closer to our 100% paper-free pledge.
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With a unique set of skills honed over the past 16 years in the retail and commercial sector both in the UK and overseas, Konstantin Jegorovs brings a wealth of experience, insights and knowledge to his role as Craftex’s Projects Director.
A graduate of construction management from Oxford Brookes university, Konstantin has led flagship projects of up to £5 million in value for commercial banks, complex fit outs of occupied commercial office premises, innovative and challenging aparthotels and high-end residential projects for the UAE Royal Family.
Overseeing every single element of each project from the initial consultation to delivery phase, Konstantin is intrinsic to Craftex’s customer service and collaboration offering, thanks to a proactive and forward-thinking approach. He deploys his experience in the development and improvement of policies, processes and strict adherence to ISO business management systems to ensure the flawless delivery of Craftex projects across the globe, with an unwavering commitment to quality that ensures each clients get the maximum return for their investment.
Fluent in both Russian and English and with a plethora of industry-relevant qualifications, Konstantin is a valuable asset to the Craftex team and committed to helping our clients see their visions become reality.
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