More new council homes coming soon to Hackney

Designed in partnership with local residents, the new homes replace derelict garages, storage units and bin cupboards. They are some of the 972 homes for social rent that Hackney Council is currently delivering across the borough. 

Three quarters of the new homes in Hoxton and Haggerston will be for Council social rent for those most in need of a new home with the remaining 32 for shared ownership for residents who want to get on the housing ladder. 

The plans prioritise larger homes intended for four or five people to help meet the demand in Hackney for family sized homes. All have outside space of their own and the proposals all revamp existing green spaces. 

At Fellows Court and Weymouth Court, the plans include a new pocket park, a new community street, a shared residential courtyard and improvements to Weymouth Terrace square, all aimed at enhancing the wider estate for the benefit of all residents. 

At Cropley Court and Buckland Court, the plans include significant areas of new planting that will help improve the quality of the green space on the estates and boost biodiversity. 

Three of the buildings - at Buckland Court and Cropley Court in Hoxton, and Fellows Court in Haggerston - are designed to the highest Passivhaus energy efficiency standards resulting in lower bills for tenants. 

All of the new buildings have been designed to include ground floor accessible homes for wheelchair users. 

Cllr Guy Nicholson, Deputy Mayor of Hackney, said: “Hackney Council is building some of the best new Council housing in the country - with 972 council homes for social rent in delivery across the borough. The Council is also currently delivering 458 homes for shared ownership and 749 for outright sale to help people get on the housing ladder and fund new homes for social rent.

“These spacious new Council homes in Hoxton and Haggerston are designed by some of the best architects in the capital. They are spacious, light-filled, sensitive to their neighbours and all have outside space of their own. 

“Like all the Council's new homes, these plans have been co-designed with local residents, who will in turn benefit from the new landscaped communal spaces.”

Mark Tuff, partner at Sergison Bates architects, said: "This has been a really important project for our practice, and we are delighted by the positive response it received at committee stage. We would like to thank the Hackney team for their collaborative approach in guiding the project to this milestone, with a shared focus on the things that matter: architectural quality, material choices and landscape setting. We now look forward to the next phase and supporting the delivery of the project on site."

Fran Balaam and Matt Murphy, directors at Balaam Murphy, said: “When the pressure of housing need confronts the reality of a constrained site, we think it’s critical to also respond to the experience of existing residents in the design of the buildings. 

“Our design balances the needs of existing estate residents with those who’ll be living in the new homes by focusing on the public realm and shaping the form of the building to maintain light and space at key points around this small site. 

“The currently run-down and underused tarmac yard will become a courtyard garden. A new route through the courtyard to Weymouth Terrace square coupled with a new entrance to the existing Weymouth court block means new and existing residents will be able to enter their homes through this new shared green space.

“Individual flats are entered from communal decks overlooking the courtyard, with long balconies to the street side giving residents generous amenity space and bringing new life to this corner of Hackney.”

Ramsey Yassa, Director at NOOMA Studio, said: “Fellows Court transforms a forgotten garage site into 28 family-sized social rent homes that set a new benchmark for estate renewal. Designed around intergenerational living, the homes prioritise both children’s independence and adult comfort through carefully considered layouts, thresholds and shared spaces. As one of Hackney’s first multi-unit Passivhaus schemes, it delivers ultra-low energy homes with affordable bills alongside thoughtful placemaking — creating a lively pocket park and community street that reconnects and revitalises the estate."