The supply of homes in Wandsworth for people on lower incomes has been boosted by the formal signing of contracts for the construction of 92 new affordable homes.
The council has signed two contracts with leading developer Wates Residential to build the 92 affordable homes by the spring of 2020.
These new low income council homes will be built in Battersea and Putney.
In Battersea, 71 homes will be built for social rent in Shuttleworth Road, which forms part of the council’s wider Winstanley and York Road Estates regeneration programme, to increase the number of affordable homes available for local people.
And in Putney, Wates will build 21 affordable homes in Stag Lane. Eight of the homes will be available for low cost rent while the remaining 13 will be designed to support some of the borough’s more vulnerable residents who have physical and learning disabilities with the aim of helping them live independently.
How the Battersea homes will look
On both projects, Wates and the council have also made a joint pledge to provide employment and training opportunities for local residents, including on-site apprenticeships, work experience placements and structured training programmes.
Nine long-term unemployed adults from the local area have already taken part in Wates’ accredited Building Futures programme, which provides basic construction training and helps participants develop new skills to help them make the transition into employment. One of these participants is now working on the company’s Abbey Road site in Camden.
The developer has also committed to working with a local employment agency to ensure that at least ten per cent of the workforce is comprised of local residents from Wandsworth.
Wandsworth’s cabinet member for housing Cllr Kim Caddy, said: “We are delighted to be working with Wates to deliver 92 new affordable homes. This is part of our Wandsworth Homes For Wandsworth People development programme that’s providing more and more housing opportunities for people on low to middle incomes.
“Some of these properties are being specially adapted to help and support our most vulnerable residents, to whom these new homes will be life-changing. It will also help our residents in Putney Vale by providing local housing options for people living on the estate who want to downsize.
“But there is a lot more to the programme than providing more council housing. We are working to give people choices by generating employment and training opportunities, helping our residents to develop new skills and ultimately improving lives.”
Paul Nicholls, Managing Director of Wates Residential South, said: “We are looking forward to delivering these much-needed affordable homes for local people and building on our excellent relationship with the London Borough of Wandsworth.
“Local communities are at the heart of every project we work on so we are really pleased that our development will also leave a positive lasting legacy through our commitment to invest in creating training and employment opportunities throughout the duration of both projects.”
