Green-light for new eco-friendly council homes

Croydon Council’s new house-building programme has had a further boost after the green light was given to build thirteen new eco-friendly homes.

The three, four and five bed family houses are destined for Sumner Gardens, Broad Green, following planning committee approval last Thursday.

Temporary accommodation already on the site will make way for the environmentally-friendly, high-spec homes.

Built to meet robust eco standards, the semi-detached and terraced properties will be equipped with solar panels to heat water and wind turbines to cut carbon emissions.

The new house-building programme represents a significant landmark for Croydon.

This will be the first council housing to be built in the borough since the 1980s.

Funding has been secured for a total of 34 properties - other sites under consideration include Fieldway, South Norwood and New Addington.

Now with new government plans, set out in the housing green paper, to create millions more new homes, there could be an increased role for local authorities, like Croydon, to extend their housing stock.

Cllr Dudley Mead, deputy leader and cabinet member for housing, said: “Croydon believes that the quickest and most effective way of addressing the housing shortage in the borough is through investment in council housing.

“Croydon has an excellent reputation for looking after its tenants and we welcome a new role for strong local authorities to be able to construct good quality, eco-friendly, council homes to tackle overcrowding.

“And by embarking on this new house building programme we’re already leading the way. But this is just a start and we hope to be able to do much more in future.”

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