An old garage site in Peckham set to redeveloped into affordable housing after Southwark Council agreed a lease deal.
The council agreed to lease land on New James Court Estate in Scylla Road to the London Community Land Trust (CLT), who intend to build new homes on the site, subject to planning permission.
The site holds 27 disused garages, which will be demolished and replaced with houses priced according to the average income of the local area.
A London CLT spokesperson said: “A huge thank you to members of the community steering group and residents who were central to the proposal we submitted.
“We are excited to progress to the next stage, which will be securing funding and taking the project through to planning submission.”
According to statistics from Rightmove, the average house price in Peckham is £616,713, with the average flat selling for £431,048.
Meanwhile, data from Southwark Council shows Peckham is ranked as the second most deprived ward in Southwark, with a median household income of £34,100.
The move, if approved, would give a boost to lower-income households and young people hoping to get on the property ladder in the area.
Southwark Council’s cabinet member for new homes and sustainable development Helen Dennis said: “We want good-quality, safe and truly affordable housing to be available to everyone in Southwark.
“This project will provide new affordable homes while ensuring that residents will be involved in the process throughout, working hand-in-hand with London CLT to deliver the affordable homes that the community needs.”
The council has worked in partnership with Peckham Citizens, an alliance of organisations in the community, since 2016 to find ways of bringing more affordable housing to the area.
A Peckham Citizens spokesperson said: “We saw the potential in transforming what was a disused garage site into a home for people and families with roots in Southwark.
“We are delighted that Southwark Council bought into that vision and saw it as an opportunity to work with people in the borough to shape what their area will look like.
“We look forward to continuing to work with London CLT, Southwark Council and residents across the borough to create beautiful, permanent and affordable homes for our community.”
A planning application for the development is expected by next year.
Feature image credit: Southwark Council
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