New council homes in Hoxton reach a high point
A topping out ceremony has been held to mark the highest point of the build of new council housing next to Britannia Leisure Centre.
It marks the final phase of the Britannia masterplan, which has already delivered the state-of-the-art new leisure centre and a new secondary school.
On Monday 2 June, the Mayor of Hackney was joined by the Ardmore team who are completing this part of the project, along with local ward councillors, officers and residents to mark the topping out event.
Scheduled for completion in late spring 2026, two blocks will provide 51 social rent homes, prioritised for local residents. Additionally, the development will include 30 shared ownership and 290 private for sale homes, which fund the new council housing, leisure centre and school.
These buildings (block H3 and block H4) will be named Gene Rondo House and Joy Mack House, honouring two members of the British Reggae Artists Famine Appeal (BRAFA) from the 1980s.
BRAFA raised thousands for the Ethiopian famine with their charity song ‘Let's Make Africa Green Again’ and a large benefit concert in Shoreditch Park in May 1986. While their efforts are less well known than Live Aid, the BRAFA legacy endures.
Gene Rondo, also known as Winston Lara, was a Hackney-based Jamaican reggae singer and BRAFA co-founder. His daughters, Michelle and Nadine Lara, attended the ceremony and said their father would have been ‘honoured’ if he was here today.
“He would be lost for words,” Michelle commented, “especially where it’s giving back to the community through housing. They’d think their work has paid off.”
Nadine said: “When he was alive he sort of went unrecognised until now.
“At least we’re here to see it and we can tell our kids and grandkids.
She added: “Our dad died when our kids were young so he didn’t know them, but now they know him.”
Joy Mack’s son, Dwaine Tyndale also attended. Another artist who sang on the track ‘Let’s Make Africa Green Again’, Joy passed away in 2019 and was hailed as the UK reggae queen in the 1970s and ‘80s.
Having grown up just down the road, Dwaine said it was ‘surreal’ to be there, but added: “Mum would want to see people who have been on the housing waiting list for several years benefit from this.”
“She wasn’t one for symbolic gestures, and there’s a legacy that has to be preserved. It’s more than just the name of a tower.”
The Greater London Authority (GLA) has provided £8,925,000 in funding for the social rent and shared ownership homes.
The Britannia project, along with upgrades at Shoreditch Park and the transformation of Colville Estate, represents the biggest public sector investment in the area in a generation.
Mayor of Hackney, Caroline Woodley commented: “I am committed to tackling London’s housing crisis head on and building a new generation of council homes, including 1,000 for social rent.
“Topping out these new council homes, built as part of the masterplan that delivered the incredible Britannia Leisure Centre, marks the next phase in a project that has passed securely from one Hackney Mayoral administration to the next, with heartfelt thanks owed to the support of the Mayor of London and the GLA..
“It is a privilege to recognise the families of two remarkable individuals after whom we have named these homes. These blocks overlook Shoreditch Park, a place that holds historical significance for BRAFA, therefore, it is fitting that these new homes honour Joy Mack and Gene Rondo, key figures in BRAFA, who left a lasting legacy for our communities."