How is a London Council Delivering More Affordable Homes?
In response to the shortage of affordable housing in its community, Wandsworth Council is progressing its ambition to drive up the number of homes for social rent. How will this tackle the council’s housing waiting list?
Wandsworth Council is launching a review of the Local Plan, a legal document that sets out its long-term planning policy.
It is looking to developers to deliver more secure and affordable homes for local people. As part of the review, local people will also be asked for views, part of the council’s commitment to being a listening council.
Resident’s needs are at the heart of Wandsworth Council’s considerations
Simon Hogg, Leader of the Council, explained that providing people with safe, good quality, and affordable housing is essential: “A decent, genuinely affordable place to call home is the foundation of a good life. Sadly, the cost of housing is a serious burden for too many households.”
Continuing, Simon highlighted that the council’s key priority is its residents: “For too long Wandsworth Council’s priority has been on expensive homes which are out of reach for local residents. We want to change this – residents’ needs, and their views, will be at the heart of our considerations.”
The council’s top priority is the delivery of genuinely affordable homes for local families.
Historically in Wandsworth, property developers have only had to provide 35 per cent affordable homes when they built in the borough.
Now, the council has revealed it wants to increase this to 50 per cent of new homes as affordable with a greater number of those being for social rent. The aim is to help more local families.
These proposed new policies will apply to all property developments in the borough, not just large developments.
Wandsworth Council is building 1,000 new council homes
Aydin Dikerdem, Cabinet Member for Housing, said that progress to tackle its housing waiting list is already being made: “We are already building 1,000 new council homes on our own land through our Homes for Wandsworth plan – and introducing landlord licensing to protect renters. Now we are seeking to ensure property developers contribute towards our vision of a fairer borough for all.”
Thousands of children in Wandsworth grow up in temporary accommodation and that is why we are urgently seeking social rented homes that give them security for the long-term.
The ‘Our Homes for Wandsworth’ programme, the building of 1,000 new council homes, is aiming to deliver a fairer, more compassionate borough for everyone.
It is about providing local people with the opportunity to stay in the communities that they have grown up in and add value to those communities with new play spaces, gardens, and landscaping.
Under the programme, the council announced this summer that 83 new council rent homes will be built on the Atheldene development on Garratt Lane.
This is an increase in the number of affordable homes on the site by 69 homes, taking the overall affordable housing on the site from 45 per cent to 80 per cent.
These homes are part of a wider scheme which is delivering a new health centre for the NHS, new shops, and new homes around Garratt Lane, Atheldene, Waverton, and Oakshaw Roads.
It follows the plans previously announced to work with developers and landowners to deliver a minimum of 50 per cent affordable housing across all new developments in the borough. The Atheldene scheme proves that this is achievable for communities and for businesses too.
