First new Council homes to transform underused land given go ahead
The first of hundreds of new Council homes were given the go ahead yesterday as Council plans to transform underused land and tackle Hackney’s housing crisis reached a key milestone.
Plans for 11 high-quality new Council homes at Mandeville Street in Clapton – five for social rent and six for shared ownership – gained unanimous approval from the Council’s Planning Sub-Committee. The homes will replace a row of unused garages long recognised as an eyesore by neighbours, with a new mews street being created.
Proposals to convert a former Council office at Whiston Road in Haggerston into two new Council homes, both for social rent, were also approved at last night’s meeting.
These small developments lead the way in a much bigger new programme of Council housebuilding on underused land, including garages, car parks and depots across Hackney. Over 400 homes will be built at 14 locations, with around 70% for social rent and shared ownership, paid for through outright sale of the remaining homes in the absence of any government funding for social rented housing.
The new Council homes will be prioritised for local people, with the social rent properties allocated to families from the Council’s 13,000-strong housing waiting list. The shared ownership homes will offer a more affordable route into home ownership for people living and working in Hackney, including the thousands of private renters struggling to afford a deposit for a first home.
Although only small developments themselves, these homes prove that Hackney is building and will spearhead our latest Council housing drive as we look to provide hundreds of genuinely affordable new council homes on underused land across Hackney.
The proposals were the result of close collaboration with local residents and councillors to create high-quality designs that benefit the neighbourhood and put local people first, and will be life changing for local families in desperate need of a place to live.
Mandeville Street
The approved plans for Mandeville Street include 11 new homes, including five for social rent, six for shared ownership and none for outright sale. These are a mix of family homes and flats to help meet local housing need. The homes will replace dilapidated empty garages and informal parking spaces, with a safe and attractive new link between Mandeville Street and Oswald Street for pedestrians and cyclists provided. The homes have been designed by local architects Al-Jawad Pike.
Whiston Road
The approved plans for Whiston Road include the conversion of a former housing office to provide two three-bedroom social rent Council homes.
Housing Supply Programme
Both Mandeville Street and Whiston Road are part of the Housing Supply Programme, a Council-led not for profit programme to build new homes on underused Council-owned sites. The programme currently includes over 400 homes across 14 sites, of which around 70% will be for social rent and shared ownership, paid for through outright sale of the remaining homes.