Work is underway on new affordable homes as part of a scheme in Goldhawk Road.
Under the planning agreement between Hammersmith & Fulham (H&F) Council and developer First Base, 40 per cent of the homes built in Ravenscourt Park will be affordable – and offered to local people first.
In addition to the creation of seven homes for discount market sale, which will be available for about a quarter of their open market value, three social rent properties are being offered to some of the council tenants who used to live in the now-vacant Elizabeth Finn House building on the site.
If no there are no more former tenants who opt to move into one of the remaining social rent properties, these homes will also be put up for sale at about a quarter of their open market value. The remaining 15 houses will be four-bed family homes.
Cllr Andrew Johnson, H&F cabinet member for housing, said: “This is yet another example of the work we are doing to secure new homes for hardworking people on modest and middle incomes.
“And, in addition to providing much-needed affordable family homes on under-utilised land, the council and First Base have been able to offer some newly-built properties to former council tenants who had previously expressed an interest in returning to that part of the borough.”
Local residents have been involved in developing the proposals, including the selection of architects for this conservation area site.
In addition, the contractor, Balfour Beatty, is working with people from the area throughout the construction of the new homes as part of its local employment initiative, offering a range of employment opportunities for local people.
Kate Ives, development director at First Base, said: “The Ashchurch Villas scheme presents a unique opportunity to develop large spacious family homes in a popular central London location.
“Demand is already high and we look forward to delivering these in partnership with H&F.”
Last year, the council announced the selection of Stanhope as the preferred bidder to establish a long term housing and regeneration Joint Venture – the first phase of which will see more than 300 homes built over the next five years, with about 40 per cent of the redeveloped homes in line to be affordable housing sold at a discounted market rate to help local people.
As well as this, the council has its own new build programme which sees underused bin stores, pram sheds and garages on council estate land converted into flats that are sold at a fraction of the market rate.
In addition, the first Rational House homes on the Spring Vale Estate in Brook Green and in the Barclay Close Estate in Fulham are in the pipeline.
H&F is also planning to launch its innovative ‘right to buy part’ scheme this year, which offers the sitting tenant the opportunity to buy a minimum of a 15 per cent share of their home.
