The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, has today named London’s first Housing Zones. In nine boroughs, with four in West London.
He hopes the new Zones will bring forward regeneration and help change what he describes as key areas of the capital, with £260m of new investment to deliver 28,000 much needed new homes across the capital. It is hoped that London’s first Housing Zones will unlock the redevelopment of 1897.42 hectares of brownfield land across the capital.
The special status has been awarded to areas identified by London boroughs as key opportunity sites, to maximise development, fast track homes and deliver infrastructure to boost development. The Housing Zone status will remain until 2025.
London’s first Housing Zones will be in the boroughs of Barking and Dagenham, Bexley, Ealing, Royal Borough of Greenwich, Haringey, Harrow, Hounslow, Lewisham, Wandsworth. More across London are currently being considered with around 20 expected to be designated by later his year. Together the Mayor hopes they will provide over 50,000 new homes across London.
The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: “As London’s population continues to boom, already at its highest since records began and with more growth predicted, housing is a huge challenge. We need to double housebuilding and provide a million more homes by 2025. These innovative new Housing Zones, the first of their kind in the UK, will trigger regeneration and turbo boost the transformation of the capital’s brownfield sites, creating tens of thousands of new homes for hard working Londoner in first class new neighbourhoods.”
The West London’s Housing Zones:
Clapham Junction to Battersea Riverside: The Mayor says this 57 acre Housing Zone has “huge development and transformational potential”. He thinks its transport links to the West End, City of London and Gatwick Airport, will help attract £1.4 billion of investment to deliver 5,000 new homes, new commercial space and 1,300 new jobs.
Leader of Wandsworth Council Ravi Govindia said: “Housing zone status will provide certainty and bring all of the key players to the table with a clear focus on delivering much needed improvement and change to this area over the next ten years. Our ambitious proposals for this part of Battersea include more than 5,000 new homes, new leisure and community facilities, an extensive upgrade to the Clapham Junction transport hub, a new pedestrian bridge across the Thames and plans to reconnect Clapham Junction town centre with the riverside. At the core of the housing zone we will transform the Winstanley and York Road estates which are among the most disadvantaged neighbourhoods in Wandsworth. Every homeowner and council tenant living here will be offered a brand new home so local families can stay living in the heart of Battersea and share the benefits our regeneration work will bring.”
Heart of Harrow: Both Harrow and Wealdstone town centres sit within the Heart of Harrow Housing Zone. The new Zone will see more than 5,000 homes are built over the next ten years and accelerate delivery of the council’s private rented sector programme.
Business, planning and regeneration councillor, Keith Ferry said: “Receiving this funding is great news for the people of Harrow and this will allow us to kick start our ambitious regeneration plans. In the next decade we will be building 5,500 much needed homes, which will go some way to addressing the chronic housing shortage in our borough. This level of investment from GLA is a testament to the strength of our bid and recognition of our development plans for the borough. Over the coming months we will be speaking to residents about these plans to ensure they are given a say on the future shape of Harrow.”
Hounslow Town Centre: This 466 hectare Housing Zone is part of Hounslow’s regeneration programme, designed to boost jobs and business growth, and to accelerate house-building. It is expected that the Zone will lead to the delivery of 3,478 new homes built by 2025, 1,383 of which will be affordable. The Zone is also expected to lead to the creation of almost 7,000 jobs.
Leader of Hounslow Council, Cllr Steve Curran, said: “I am delighted that the Mayor has recognised the strength of the case for more housing in Hounslow, and I’m particularly pleased that it will move us much closer to our target of 3,000 new affordable new homes by 2018.”
Southall: This part of Ealing is set to benefit enormously from being on the new Crossrail route. The new Housing Zone will deliver 4,345 new homes, 1,785 of which will be affordable. The Zone will also improve the station arrival point for Crossrail and allow for infrastructure improvements to help connect sites across Southall.
Councillor Julian Bell, leader of Ealing Council, said: “Southall is being transformed through unprecedented investment which will secure its future as one of the premier towns in west London to live, work and visit. Getting housing zone status will further stimulate development and ensure thousands of much-needed good quality homes can be built for local people. This will also help to boost the local economy through the creation of jobs during and after construction of these homes and the infrastructure required to support them. Major transport improvements like Crossrail and the planned western road being built as part of the Southall Gas Works development will help ease congestion and better connect Southall with central London, Heathrow and beyond.”
