Wandsworth Council’s Cabinet Member for Housing Cllr Kim Caddy checked on housing development progress today as part of the Housing for All programme to deliver 1,000 council-built homes for residents and local workers.
Main works contractor Wates Residential joined Wandsworth Council Leader Cllr Ravi Govindia and Cllr Caddy, at Shuttleworth Road to celebrate as the ground works completed and construction of the new buildings providing 71 affordable new homes began.
The scheme is one of the largest development’s in the council’s Housing for All programme,and includes 62 social rented and 9 low cost homeownership apartments.
Speaking at the event, Cllr Caddy said:
“I am delighted to be here at the next stage of this housing development, and especially pleased that 100 per cent of the homes are affordable, for both rent and shared ownership. Social housing that meets and indeed exceeds environmental, size and quality standards and that will provide 8 fully accessible homes for Wandsworth residents.
“Our commitment is to build 1,000 new homes on our development sites that will help people in the borough to buy or rent a home that is right for them. Our Housing for All programme will create a borough in which residents are proud to live and work in. With officers working to accelerate the programme we also believe that developments like this one can help in the recovery phase post Covid by creating jobs and opportunities for local businesses and people”
Cllr Caddy was joined by Wates Residential’s Managing Director, Paul Nicholls and other Wates Residential representatives to celebrate the next phase of works on this site that will provide 15 x 1-bed , 39 x 2-bed and 17 x 3-bed homes.
The development has provided jobs and training opportunities for local residents, including on-site apprenticeships, work experience placements and structured training programmes. Unemployed adults from the local area were also given the opportunity to enroll on Wates Residential’s accredited Building Futures pre-employment programme, which provided basic construction and employment skills training to help participants make the transition into employment.
Wandsworth Council leader Cllr Ravi Govindia, said:
“We are well on track to complete 1,000 homes by 2025. I am delighted we are building such high-quality housing that will be highly energy efficient and will continue to be targeted to meeting Wandsworth’s housing needs and demands well into the future.
“We will continue to prioritise homes for people who live and work in Wandsworth. But there is a lot more to the programme than providing more council housing. We have worked to give people choices by generating jobs and training opportunities, helping our residents to develop new skills and ultimately improving lives. We are also doing everything we can to support London’s economic recovery by redoubling our efforts to build a better borough for all residents and workers.”
Cllr Govindia also wished to thank local residents for their patience and understanding during the construction phase of this new development.
Paul Nicholls, Managing Director of Wates Residential, said:
“We believe that everyone deserves a great place to live so we are proud to be delivering much needed affordable new homes for local people on this site in partnership with Wandsworth Council and to be supporting the local economy through our operations.
“I would also like to take this opportunity to thank our site team and subcontractors who have continued to safely pick up the pace of construction at Shuttleworth Road, despite challenging circumstances. It is their dedication that has enabled us to reach this important milestone today.”
The development has involved the demolition of a disused recording studio and lock-up garages and erection of a three-storey to seven-storey building to provide new homes, associated car parking, landscaping and public realm improvements.
The new addresses will be 1 to 6 Sphere Walk, London, SW11 3EF and Apartments 1 to 63, 7 Sphere Walk, London, SW11 3JY – In recognition of the former recording studio, which was named Sphere Studios.
The first occupants are expected to move in 2021.