Built on a former unused ‘kickabout’ area that historically was a WWII bomb site, this underutilised space provided an opportunity to create new, much-needed affordable housing…reports Asian Lite News
A new 100% affordable housing scheme has completed in the heart of central London in Zone 1 on Luxborough Street in Marylebone.
Built on a former unused ‘kickabout’ area that historically was a WWII bomb site, this underutilised space provided an opportunity to create new, much-needed affordable housing.
Westminster City Council is delivering 14 homes for this new scheme– seven two-bedroom council homes for social rent and seven one-bedroom homes for intermediate rent. The social tenants will move into the 2-bed properties before Christmas, with the intermediate tenants moving into the 1-bed properties in the new year.
In addition to these new homes, the scheme has also seen public realm and landscaping improvements around the neighbouring Luxborough Tower Gardens estate, significantly enhancing the external appearance of the tower and the surrounding outside spaces. A ground floor nursery has also been built for local children from the area to attend.
Working with housebuilding contractor Wates Residential to complete the works, the new homes will be offered to local people first through the Council’s Local Lettings Plan, which allows people living locally in overcrowded or unsuitable homes to bid for the new properties before they go towards tackling the 4000 strong waiting list for homes in Westminster.
Councillor Matt Noble, Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Renters at Westminster City Council, said: “We are dedicated to providing affordable homes, even in the most complex urban areas at the heart of central London. The completion of Luxborough Street is the latest example of this commitment. This project demonstrates how we can transform underused spaces across the city into much-needed housing for our residents.
“I want to thank the residents of Luxborough Tower for their patience and collaboration throughout this process. Together, we’ve created refreshed, secure, and welcoming green spaces for everyone to enjoy.”
Helen Bunch, Executive Managing Director of Wates Residential said, “We are so pleased to have been able to deliver much needed affordable homes in partnership with Westminster City Council. Working together, we have always sought to bring a community-centric approach to this scheme, incorporating flexible spaces for communal use to bring residents together. The delivery of high quality, sustainable homes sits alongside an ambitious social value programme to provide real and tangible benefits to the existing community before the project was even finished.
“I’m pleased to see it’s been a huge success and we have been so proud to be a part of this project. For us this embodies what it means to truly live our purpose of reimagining places for people to thrive. I wish the residents and community that will live here the very best for the future.”
Under the ‘Fairer Westminster’ strategy, the Council has committed to providing at least 50% affordable housing across its 4,000-home development pipeline.
Following the publication of the Council’s ‘Truly Affordable Housing Strategy’ in October 2022, an application was made to change the tenure of seven intermediate units to council homes for social rent for this new scheme. This was to prioritise family sized social rent accommodation wherever the Council is taking forward development schemes on our own land. This enabled the Council to access further funding from the Greater London Authority to fund the council homes for social rent.
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