Southwark Council sets out action plan for housing and infrastructure

A raft of measures to bolster housing of all kinds in Southwark – and the infrastructure designed to support them - has been announced by Southwark Council.

Southwark has a record of housing delivery to be proud of, with 3,000 new council homes delivered or on site, more council housing completions than any other London borough last year. Their overall record on social rent is strong too. This is achieved through robust planning policies, including an insistence on affordable housing being delivered alongside student accommodation.

Councillor Helen Dennis, Cabinet Member for New Homes, said; “Whenever I visit new council homes, like those on Nunhead Lane which we saw last week, I am always struck by the potential of decent housing to transform lives. This is why we do it.”

The proposals for the next phase of the council’s new homes programme will be presented at cabinet with the site list published in September.

The council’s action plan brings forward new Keyworker Homes and a Community Land Trust, both of which are housing models that are tied to local average salaries, forever, so they will always be affordable to those in Southwark. The proposals will deliver 100 new homes for nurses, social care staff, teachers and other keyworkers who serve the borough. Housing for older people, in a borough with an ageing population and a diverse set of needs, is a must. Appleby Blue is the first of the new planned alms-houses to open in the borough. The council’s own schemes are also creating homes for older residents, including new flexi-care housing on the Aylesbury Estate and the Tustin. There will be a new nursing home in Nunhead & Queen’s Road on the Asylum Road site, with formal plans being brought forward in the autumn.

These initiatives are supported by strengthened transport and community infrastructure including the Bakerloo Line Upgrade and Extension and working with the Mayor on plans to deliver the Bakerloop, an express bus that will be achieved in good part through S106 contributions. The Peckham Rye station upgrade will also come to fruition, making this busy interchange accessible to all, supported by a £1 million community infrastructure levy boost.

Cllr Dennis added: “The community continues to be at the heart of all that we do – with homes and housing support for everyone, of all ages and needs. I hope to establish further Community Review Panels, bringing new and more diverse voices into the planning process. Overall, we know the importance of making Southwark a home, not just in housing terms, but in having the right transport networks, health care, parks and leisure spaces for people and their families to put down roots in the borough.”