A major milestone in the development of 84 new council homes to let has been marked in Northolt.
A special ceremony has been held to mark the upwards completion of the building process, known as ‘topping out’, at the site of the former Northolt Grange Community Centre, in Rushdene Crescent.
Among the attendees at the ceremony on Thursday 20 February were Councillor Peter Mason, the leader of the council, and Councillor Shital Manro, the council’s cabinet member for good growth and new homes. During the event, they laid ceremonial bricks at the top of one of the buildings.
Affordable housing crisis
The Ealing Council-led project is set to deliver 92 new homes in total, with 8 houses in addition to the 84 flats.
The flats will be a mixture of 1 and 2-beds, in two 5-storey blocks. They will all be let at London Affordable Rent, which is priced to meet the needs of local people on lower incomes, to some of the almost 8,000 local households which are on the waiting list for a council home.
The borough is at the sharpest end of the national affordable housing crisis. Its population increased by 15% between 2013 and 2023, and a ‘double-whammy’ of increased demand and reduced supply has made it one of the least affordable places for housing in London.
In response, the council is running one of the biggest council homebuilding programmes in the country. It has committed to delivering thousands of new council homes during the current council term, and Northolt Grange is set to help it reach that target.
A new community
The development will also provide a children’s play area, new landscaped open space, and vehicle and cycle parking.
The 8 houses will be available as shared ownership – a scheme designed to support aspiring homeowners to buy a share of a home and pay rent on the remaining part.
Construction got under way at the site last summer, and it is expected that the first residents will be able to move in from spring 2026.
The homes are being built with the support of the Greater London Authority (GLA), which is part-funding the development through a £99million grant awarded to the council in 2019.
‘High-quality, energy-efficient homes’
Councillor Mason said: “There is nowhere in the country that has been harder hit by the national affordable housing crisis, and there is a chronic shortage of affordable homes here. These high-quality, energy-efficient new homes to let will put a dent in our target to build 4,000 genuinely affordable homes in the current council term, and will provide more than 80 local families with the security and stability they need for a better quality of life.”
Councillor Manro added: “These new homes will help us deliver on our pledge to create strong and thriving communities filled with pride, identity, and purpose. By putting inclusivity, quality, and functionality first, we are creating a community that reflects the diverse needs of our residents. With great transport links, some of London’s best parks and green spaces, and outstanding schools, our borough is and will continue to be a great place to live.”
The Hill Group is leading the construction work on the project.
Simon Trice, managing director at The Hill Group said: “It’s great to have reached this milestone in the construction of the high-quality apartments and houses we are building, which have been designed to be energy efficient, helping to keep bills low for the residents. We look forward to delivering the rest of this fantastic project for our long-standing partners at Ealing Council.”
