Wandsworth continues to deliver strong housing pipeline

A plan delivering 60 per cent of homes for low cost rent and sale, with all homes prioritised for local residents and workers to buy and rent. A programme underpinned by council funding to maximise delivery of genuinely affordable homes.

Since 2017, 244 additional council homes have been delivered through the council’s 1,000 Homes and Regeneration programmes, with all these homes being affordable. A further 312 homes are currently being built or have planning consent with works planned to start shortly so the council is well on its way to its 1,000 homes commitment with priority to deliver affordable homes first. The council remains on track to deliver in excess of 1,000 homes by 2027 and continues to look for opportunities to increase the programme where viable.

Importantly, homes in the Housing for All programme are available across a range of sizes and tenures to suit the needs and demands of all Wandsworth residents. This means that all the housing, including the market housing, developed will be targeted and prioritised for sale to local residents and workers.

To date, the council has committed £100 million to support development for the 1,000 homes Housing for All programme. This includes environmental improvements intended to provide an enhanced environment for new as well as existing local residents.

Last year, the council delivered its largest project to date with 71 new homes at Sphere Walk on Shuttleworth Road in Battersea. All homes are genuinely affordable with eight of these homes being fully wheelchair accessible, with the remainder built to fully accessible and adaptable standards.

Councillor Jonathan Cook, Cabinet Member for Housing, said:

“All across the borough Wandsworth Council, along with our partners, is delivering a range of housing to suit the diverse needs of our residents. Sphere Walk is a fantastic example of what can be achieved with good planning and design to deliver a scheme that is just as high quality as a commercial development.”

Sphere Walk was developed with a ‘fabric first’ approach, meaning that measures to reduce energy demand and carbon emissions are built into to the building’s materials. The scheme also includes sustainable drainage systems (SUDS), green roofs and electric vehicle charge points. A scheme that significantly exceeds our own exacting carbon reduction planning requirements.

The affordable homes delivered at Sphere Walk are allocated to residents from the Winstanley and York Road as part of the commitment to deliver new homes for residents from the estates. Similarly, the 10 new homes built at McKinney House on Bessborough Road in Putney have been allocated to residents of the Alton estate. McKinney House was named after the late Rev. Jim McKinney, a local vicar and a community campaigner. The scheme represents the first stage of the Alton regeneration projects.

As with all council-led development schemes, the Housing and Regeneration team’s Specialist Housing Occupational Therapists have had a strong input into the design of the building to ensure that all new blocks and homes comply with the latest accessible and adaptable requirements and incorporate principles of modern, inclusive innovation and design. In the case of McKinney House, the Occupational Therapists worked closely with the families to ensure that their home was built to their specific needs.

Andrew is a resident at McKinney House with learning and physical disabilities:

“My family have willingly taken on the role of looking after me with my severe learning & physical disabilities. With the dedicated help and assistance of Wandsworth Council’s Specialist Housing Occupational Therapist and the Regeneration Team, they have together built from scratch a brand-new home with my family’s specific needs in mind.

I’m not sure if all the words of appreciation will ever be enough to express our joy and gratitude for what this means for us. We do feel honoured and privileged that our needs as a family have been provided for. I now have my own bathroom, a more spacious bedroom on an upper floor and access via a lift, a garden that I will be able to access on my own and the space that I so sorely need in order to accommodate the aids that assist me in my everyday life.”

The council is due to start working on its estate regeneration programmes on the Alton estate and Winstanley and York estate. In total these schemes will provide 688 replacement council rent homes and deliver a net increase in council homes of 400, of which at least 260 will be social rent. This is alongside the numerous community benefits, from new GP surgeries and business hubs to retail units and children’s centres.

Wandsworth Council has strong track record for delivering homes and a robust programme that promises more council-led delivery over the coming years. But council-led delivery is about more than bricks and mortar, it is about building communities and places to live that residents can be proud of.