Residents are set to benefit from more affordable homes in Southall, thanks to a £157million regeneration project at Merrick Place.
The project will include 42 genuinely affordable homes, to let at London Affordable Rent, which is priced to meet the needs of local people on lower incomes.
A further 132 homes will be available as shared ownership. This is a scheme designed to support aspiring homeowners who can’t quite afford to buy a home on the open market. It gives them a chance to buy a share of a home and pay rent on the remaining share.
Developed by Vistry Group, Sovereign Network, and Grainger, a total of 575 new homes and vibrant spaces for businesses will be built at the site, which is opposite Southall station.
Topping out ceremony
Councillor Shital Manro, the council’s cabinet member for good growth and new homes, was at an event last month to celebrate a key milestone in the project – the completion of building upwards at the site.
He said: “These new homes at Merrick Place will help address the chronic shortage of genuinely affordable housing in our borough, offering local families much-needed security, stability, and the foundation for a better quality of life.
“By working with our partners to deliver these desperately needed, high quality, energy efficient homes, we are furthering our commitment to creating strong and thriving communities filled with pride, identity, and purpose.
“With great transport links, some of London’s best parks and green spaces, and outstanding schools, the borough is a great place to live. This new housing in Southall will allow more residents to continue to call this borough their home.”
The development, which received grant funding from the Greater London Authority’s Homes for Londoners programme, is currently predicted to be ready for new occupants to move into by late 2026.
Well-connected communities
As part of the council’s commitment to sustainable, accessible urban living, Merrick Place is a car-free development, designed by Cartwright Pickard.
Once completed, the development will consist of 4 buildings with plenty of cycling facilities, including 26 bicycle parking spaces and 2 dedicated servicing bays.
There will also be communal gardens and public spaces, including a play space for 0-5 year olds. The people who move into the new homes will live within 100 metres of the Elizabeth line and less than 10 minutes’ walk from the centre of Southall.
The development will also include space for offices and businesses, supporting the council’s ambition to deliver more well-paid, good jobs in the borough.
Addressing the urgent housing demand
The council helps to provide much-needed new homes for the borough in 2 ways:
- directly building them, either on its own or with partners
- using the planning system to ensure as much affordable housing as possible is provided by private developments.
The new homes at Merrick Place will count towards the council’s target of thousands of new genuinely affordable homes being available to let by 2026.
