You don’t have to look very far in Tooting to see examples of new housing projects that are underway. And with a growing population and rising property prices, it’s essential that we do build a substantial number of new homes in London.
Some of the larger projects in Tooting currently being developed include:
- The Trevelyan Road / Tooting High Street project (above) which is halfway through construction
- Smarts Laundry in Nightingale ward, which is in the planning and preparation phase
- The new housing in Old Hospital Close in Balham, which is nearing completion
- Multiple new blocks in Tooting ward (e.g. on the former Deepaks Supermarket site), some of which are built and some still in construction
- The Atheldene project in Earlsfield, which is in development.
[Note that I’m just sticking to residential construction here, otherwise I could also include the 300-person office block currently being built in Earlsfield].
In terms of the overall statistics, planning and housing decisions in Tooting are primarily controlled at the borough level, so in compiling data, we have to have a look at the figures for Wandsworth as a whole. Below is a list of some of these key numbers, and how they compare with the efforts of other London boroughs.
Since 2006 Wandsworth has seen many more homes built than the London average, and was ranked in the top half of the capital’s councils. In 2007, 2009, 2010 and 2012, Wandsworth was ranked in the top six of all 33 London authorities, averaging more than 1,400 homes built per year. Wandsworth also achieved above average affordable housing construction from 2007-12, finishing inside the top half of all London councils most years.
Looking ahead, 248 affordable homes are expected to be built in 2014, with 80% for shared ownership, 10% for affordable rent and 10% rented homes for people with learning disabilities. The government’s welfare reforms have freed up more than 200 social rented homes, with over 100 households that were previously living in cramped, overcrowded conditions now moved into suitably-sized homes.
Last year was very strong for planning permission, with Wandsworth coming top of all London councils for affordable housing, granting permission for 1,045 homes. To put this into context, nearby Lambeth granted permission for 197, and Merton just 88. So when looking to the coming years, the future for housing in Wandsworth looks bright.
The figures show that Wandsworth is out-performing many other London boroughs and there are three main reasons for this:
- By managing its housing finances responsibly over long periods of time, the Council has been able to fund the construction of new affordable housing
- It’s efficient spending of public money has also allowed it to reduce council tax over time, attracting many workers to Wandsworth and increasing demand for private housing
- The council is known to be ‘pro-development’ and as such property developers are attracted to initiate new projects in Wandsworth.
Despite this strong local performance, nationally the Government needs to continue its housing and economic reforms if it is to meet the annual construction target of 200,000 new homes that most commentators say is required to meet demand. This is the only way we will be able to moderate house prices and rent, making it easier for residents, particularly younger ones, to secure the housing they need. As the Wandsworth experience shows, responsible management of the nation’s finances, combined with freeing-up developers and house-builders, will provide the best environment to meet this goal.