Hounslow Council has embarked on a major programme to regenerate its estates and help deliver 5000 affordable homes in the borough by 2022.
The programme is expected to deliver hundreds of high quality, energy efficient, affordable homes. It is being guided by a comprehensive assessment of the council’s 171 estates, designed to identify those that will need to be updated over the next 20 years.
At a Cabinet meeting where the intention to prepare the programme was approved, it was also resolved that the Convent Way estate, in Heston, will be the first estate to be regenerated, with the potential to create 1100 new homes – up from 440 currently – a community centre, play areas and improved public transport links.
The regeneration project will be a further step towards the Council’s pledge to secure 5,000 new affordable homes for Hounslow (3,000 for social rent and 2,000 for shared ownership), and honouring its commitment to build 1,000 new council homes, by March 2022. Already 1,118 new affordable homes have been built in the borough.
Convent Way was prioritised for early regeneration following an audit that showed it faced increasing maintenance bills, consistent concerns about nuisance behaviour like fly-tipping and that it would struggle to meet the council’s rigorous energy efficiency targets.
Cllr Steve Curran, Leader of the Council and Lead Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Affordable Housing Developments said: “I am delighted with this chance to create new, high quality and energy efficient homes, as well as opportunities for new community and health facilities, shops, improved transport links, and green and leisure spaces. It will take us one step further to delivering our housing pledge and our strategic aspirations for building more vibrant, thriving places where people will enjoy living.
“It is vital that residents and the local communities support us in our aspirations. That is why we are putting them at the heart of this process – we need to build a partnership with them to develop a scheme that will better serve their needs, create jobs and improve their quality of life.”
Cllr Lily Bath, Deputy Leader and Lead Cabinet Member for Housing and Social Inclusion said: “These plans will go towards responding to significant housing challenges that we face. It will help us create more and better homes that will improving the housing conditions of many existing tenants as well provide new homes for many households who are in need of one.”
