New development in Kidbrooke Park Road North, where the Royal Borough of Greenwich are building council homes, to improve the backlog of families who need the support.
122 new Greenwich Builds council homes in Kidbrooke are under construction, with the final concrete pour recently completed.
The New Development
Councillors and guests were recently invited for a tour around the new development, Kidbrooke Park North, which will achieve high sustainability standards using heat pumps, solar panels, and efficient insulation.
Leader of the Council, Councillor Anthony Okereke, said: “We are extremely happy to be celebrating this milestone which marks progress to the final stages of work on 122 council homes which are so much needed in our borough. We cannot wait to see this development completed and for it to be joined by hundreds more new council homes for local people at Kidbrooke Park Road South.”
“In addition to making good on our commitment to deliver 1750 Greenwich Builds homes, we are working tirelessly with housing associations, private developers and community benefit societies to maximise the number of new homes available for local people on the housing waiting list.”
One in ten homes are designed for wheelchair users, in line with Greenwich Builds commitment for 10% of council homes to be wheelchair adapted.
Two landscaped areas and a green corridor with 69 new trees will provide shared outdoor space, and the design includes a nursery for new tenants and existing local residents.
Deputy Mayor of London for Housing, Tom Copley, said: “I’m extremely pleased that we’re reaching the final stages of this impressive development in Kidbrooke Park, which will provide 122 much-needed new, high-quality council houses part-funded by City Hall. The green spaces, communal areas and nursery will also improve the surrounding area and make a huge difference to its residents.
“We are delivering record-breaking levels of housing across the capital, with enormous potential for regeneration and community-building – a key part of the Mayor’s promise to build a better, fairer, more prosperous London for all.”
The Need for Council Houses in Greenwich
In recent years, central government has been accused of cutting the funding to local councils, which meant that council homes were not being built. The Right to Buy policy has further dwindled council homes in Greenwich, leading to a shortage of homes, according to the Royal Borough of Greenwich website.
In the Royal Borough of Greenwich, approximately 25,000 households are on the housing waiting list, according to the Greenwich Builds website, with over 1600 homeless households in temporary accommodation, because there are not enough council properties in the area.
Further plans are in place across the borough to build more council houses, including the neighbouring development of Kidbrooke Park Road South, where an additional 322 homes will be built.
With financial support from the Mayor of London, The Royal Borough of Greenwich has raised £200 million for the construction of council homes across the borough. However, earlier in the year, it was reported that costs of the project have soared by over £110 million, the additional funding coming from more borrowing and right-to-buy receipts.
Final Thought
Social Housing is a key issue at the moment, and for many, it will be critical to deciding who to vote for at the next general election. Labour have plans to make social housing the second-most frequent type of housing after home ownership, but little is mentioned about the details of their plans, and the future cost.
This development appears to be great progress by the borough council to try and reduce the 25,000 households on the waiting list for a council home.
However, questions must be raised about the funding of these new developments, including the substantial amounts of borrowing made by the council.