Leading by example on council housing delivery

Wandsworth Council is leading the way in its approach to delivering more affordable housing, using a place-based approach by building good quality council homes together with developing community facilities.

The Council’s Planning Committee recently approved proposals at the former Atheldene Centre on Garratt Lane which will drastically increase the affordable housing offer on site from 45% to over 82%, most of which will be homes for Council rent.

Aydin Dikerdem, Cabinet Member for Housing, said:

“The recent decision to further increase the overall number of social rent homes at this site is fantastic and shows that our ambitious targets can be met.

We are leading by example with this site to show that it is achievable for businesses to deliver much-needed new homes, along with community improvements, and still have a viable scheme.”

The scheme is about more than bricks and mortar – it is also looking to serve the community and will deliver a new health centre for the NHS and new shops, as well as much-needed new homes.

Phase one of the development, led by the developer Higgins, is due to complete in the coming months. All homes delivered in phase two will be for social rent as part of the council’s Homes for Wandsworth programme.

Aydin Dikerdem added:

“Every new council home built will go towards helping families in our communities who need it most, providing good quality housing that they can call their own. This is why we are collaborating with developers to maximise the delivery of genuinely affordable housing for our residents, particularly council rent homes.”

Wandsworth will be consulting later in the year on changes to our Local Plan – a legal document that sets out our long-term planning – to require developers to deliver 50% affordable homes.

The Plan would favour social rent homes to help more local families remain in the communities they have laid roots in.

These proposed new policies will apply to all property developments in the borough, not just large developments, to ensure property developers contribute towards our vision of a fairer borough for all.