A topping out ceremony has taken place at a housing estate in Southall, marking a new milestone in the delivery of more than 100 new genuinely affordable homes to let.

Ceremonial bricks were laid by Councillor Shital Manro, Ealing Council’s cabinet member for good growth and new homes, to celebrate the completed construction of the central structures of 143 new homes on Southall’s Golf Links estate. This includes 104 genuinely affordable new homes to let to council tenants. There will also be 3 new commercial units in this phase of development at the site.   

The homes are expected to be ready for people to move in from autumn 2026.

Estate regeneration

Building work to redevelop the Golf Links estate got underway in March 2013. Two phases of regeneration have already been completed at the estate, with the construction of Dormers Rise in 2016 and Peterhead Court in 2019.

The work has been planned with the support of the estate’s residents. A ballot in March 2022 showed clear support for the regeneration plans, with 82% voting in favour of the council’s plans.

Affordable housing crisis

There has long been a chronic shortage of reasonably priced housing in the borough. With its beautiful open spaces, outstanding schools, and fantastic transport links, it is a highly desirable place to live, but a ‘double-whammy’ of increased demand and reduced supply has made it one of the least affordable places to buy a home in London.

Since 2018, private rents have almost doubled in some areas of the borough, and have risen 8.5% in the last year alone – the highest increase in the private rented sector across London. In turn, this has led to the highest ever rate of requests for emergency help with housing that Ealing Council has ever experienced. 

On average the homes the council lets to its tenants cost around a quarter of their privately rented equivalents, but with only 681 socially rented homes becoming available to rent in 2022/23 and over 7,000 local families on the waiting list for one, there are nowhere near enough to go round.  

In response, Ealing Council is running one of the largest council home building programmes in the country. Once completed, the new homes to let on the Golf Links estate will count towards the council’s target of delivering thousands of new genuinely affordable homes to let by 2026.

In total, 2,100 new homes of all tenures were completed across the borough in 2022-23, marking the highest number of housing completions in London that year. The borough also recorded the second highest number of affordable housing completions in London during the same period (1,195). This set a new record for housing completions in the borough.

Accessible, inclusive design

The new estate boasts better living facilities with more open, accessible space between the homes. The improved estate’s design prioritises accessibility. 14 of the new homes will be wheelchair accessible, and special attention has been given to creating interconnected, open spaces.

This will improve connections between Fleming Road, Whitecote Road, and the Greenway Park, enhancing the street scene of Fleming and Whitecote Road.

The estate will have accessible cycle storage, accommodating the needs of disabled cyclists. Golf Links and the area around it will benefit from upgrades to their public spaces.

The latter will benefit from on street planting, while Fleming Road will be given a broader pavement and new cycle lane. Greenway Park will get new trees, plants, and a play area, transforming it into the social centre of the estate.

This phase of new homes is being built by Hill Partnerships and were designed by Stephen Taylor Architects.

‘Safe, comfortable homes’

Councillor Peter Mason, leader of the council, said: “This is another step on the path to delivering new, desperately needed affordable homes at Golf Links. Our regeneration `project is breathing new life into the estate, making it an accessible and welcoming place to live. By prioritising inclusivity, quality, and functionality, we are creating a vibrant neighbourhood that reflects the diverse needs of our residents. The outstanding new flats that we are building at Golf Links will offer a leap forward in the quality of life for the families that will move into them.”

Councillor Manro added: “We believe that all our residents deserve a safe, affordable place to call home, and that’s what this new development will offer. We look forward to welcoming residents to their energy-efficient, genuinely affordable homes in a vibrant local community in 2026.

“However, it is more important than ever that we continue building the homes that the borough urgently needs. With higher demand for affordable housing than ever before, and nowhere near enough council homes for everyone who needs one, we know this is just the start of a huge challenge that we are determined to rise to.”