Check out these new council homes for Stoke Newington and Clapton

The homes - at a disused council office at Morris Blitz Court off Rectory Road and in place of single storey garages on Blackwell Close on the Clapton Park Estate - form part of the Council’s New Homes Programme, which is building 400 new homes on underused sites across the borough. At least 300 of these homes will be for Council social rent and the rest will help pay for the new social rent homes. 

At Morris Blitz Court, 19 social rent homes will be built to Passivhaus standards - the strictest energy efficient standards, which will result in lower energy bills for residents and help reduce the borough’s emissions. There will be a new green space for all residents to use. The public space has play facilities built in - including a large slide that can be used by adults and children to get between the split levels of the courtyard. 

The homes have been designed by local practice Archio, which specialises in designing public buildings and housing for small sites. The practice won a RIBA London Award last year. 

At Blackwell Close, 18 homes for social rent will be built in place of underused garages, with a careful mix of homes designed to meet the needs of local people, alongside generous public spaces that integrate it with the surrounding estate and a relocated community garden for food growing and resident gatherings. 

The homes at Blackwell Close have been designed by award-winning practice Al-Jawad Pike, which scooped the RIBA Neave Brown Award for nearby Hackney Council homes at Chowdhury Walk. 

Both projects have been part funded by the Mayor of London's Affordable Homes Programme.

Cllr Guy Nicholson, Deputy Mayor of Hackney, said: “In Hackney, we’re proud that the Council is currently delivering 972 new social rent Council homes for those in the local community who need a home the most. This is one of the most ambitious social housing programmes in the country. 

“The new Council homes at Morris Blitz Court and Blackwell Close have been co-designed to the highest design and sustainability standards by the architects, the council and local community working together, an approach that is applied to all of the Council's new homes projects.”

A spokesperson for Al-Jawad Pike said: “We are delighted that the Blackwell Close scheme has received planning approval. Our design approach has focused on creating architecture that is quietly transformative - a project that will make a valuable architectural contribution to the surrounding area and deliver additional benefits through wider public realm enhancements. Shaped through a collaborative consultation process, the proposals ensure that the new homes, shared spaces, and improved access across the site respond sensitively and positively to community aspirations. It has been rewarding to work with Hackney Council and local residents on a scheme that aims to reinforce a strong sense of place, provide generous and well-made homes for the community, and leave a meaningful and enduring legacy for the neighbourhood.”

Kyle Buchanan, Director at Archio said: “This project demonstrates how new council housing can be both ambitiously sustainable and deeply community-focused. By designing to Passivhaus standards and reimagining the shared spaces around Morris Blitz Court, we’re helping to create a more connected and resilient neighbourhood.”

972 new Council social homes are in delivery in Hackney right now on Council owned estates. All homes are prioritised for the residents who need them most, with local people getting first dibs on new homes. The new homes are designed in partnership with residents - to ensure they reflect what people love about their neighbourhood and what they need from a home. The Council's new homes are recognised as some of the best in the Country - scooping multiple awards, including RIBA’s prestigious Neave Brown Award for the best social housing in the UK and Civic Trust Award for community engagement.

In addition to the 972 homes being delivered, five recently or soon to be completed projects - at Mandeville Street, Chowdhury Walk, Tower Court, Wimbourne Street and Buckland Street - have delivered over 250 new high quality, energy efficient homes, with residents enjoying more room, lower energy bills and a balcony or garden at every home.