Southwark announces 1,000 new council homes

Published by Max Salsbury for 24dash.com in Housing and also in Development, Local Government

The London borough of Southwark is to build 1,000 new council homes before 2020.

Averaging 100 new builds a year, the committment is seen as a significant step to address the council’s priority for delivering more high quality, social and genuinely affordable housing in the borough.

The new housing will be council-funded and managed, allowing greater control over rent levels and management.

It is proposed that this could also potentially allow for local lettings – where new housing is let to local residents in priority need, enabling the council to re-let existing homes and create better mobility on estates.

The first proposed site for new homes to be built is at the former Borough and Bankside housing office site on Long Lane, SE1.

Councillor Peter John, Leader of Southwark Council, said: “We are absolutely committed to delivering more high quality, genuinely affordable council homes for Southwark, which is why we have ambitious plans to build 1,000 in Southwark by 2020.

"Over the past year we have already delivered 600 affordable homes in Southwark, but no one else is talking about building council homes on this scale.”

“It makes economic sense to use the returns from our successful regeneration and development projects to invest in council housing. This will provide a secure and sustainable answer to the problem of an ever-rising housing waiting list.

"It will also mean we can avoid a situation where Southwark residents have to move out of the borough to find an affordable property.”