1,000 households on waiting list wants to build 34 affordable homes

Sutton Council wants to take over a long-empty site to kickstart the development of 34 brand-new affordable homes. Sutton hopes the move will help tackle the borough’s growing housing crisis.

The plans would transform the disused industrial site at 71–75 Westmead Road, near Carshalton, into a modern development of one, two and three-bedroom homes. All 34 units will be for social rent, with several designed specifically for wheelchair users and older residents.

Planning permission was granted to the former developer, PA Housing, in July 2020, allowing for the demolition of the existing buildings and the construction of a part-three, part-four-storey block containing 35 flats, along with car parking, landscaping and amenity space.

However, after progress on the site stalled and it was left empty for years, Sutton is now moving to take ownership.

Design revisions have been proposed to meet updated building standards and deliver a better mix of homes, including reducing one flat to create more family-sized units. The current scheme now comprises 24 flats and 10 maisonettes.

The homes will also be built to Passivhaus standards, an energy-efficient design used in several of Sutton’s other social housing developments. The Council says this could reduce tenants’ heating bills by up to 40% compared with a typical home.

However, the report also notes that adopting Passivhaus standards would increase overall design and construction costs by an estimated £1.4 million compared with a standard build.

The plans include wider improvements to the area, such as landscaped gardens, communal spaces and biodiversity features. Local jobs and apprenticeship opportunities are also expected during construction.

As in many London boroughs, demand for affordable family homes in Sutton far exceeds supply. The borough currently has more than 1,000 households in temporary or emergency accommodation, many of whom are housed outside the borough.

The Liberal Democrat-led Council has said housebuilding is one of its top priorities. Sutton Council estimates that the Westmead Road development could save around £533,000 a year by moving households out of nightly-paid accommodation and into secure, long-term homes.

Committee, said: “This latest plan for 34 new council homes in Carshalton is all part of Sutton’s response to the national housing crisis. We want to build quality and affordable homes for our residents.

“Sutton Council has committed to building almost 600 new council homes in the next five years. The site at Westmead Road will provide desperately needed homes for families and disabled applicants on our housing waiting list.

“We are really pleased to be able to double the number of family-sized homes at Westmead, with a third of them offering three bedrooms, which is exactly what we know our residents need. Building at Westmead makes sound economic sense, brings a long-unused site back into use and will also improve the local area with new play and communal gardens.”

The plans are due to be discussed at the Housing, Economy and Business Committee on Tuesday 16 September. If councillors give the go-ahead, the site will be purchased from PA Housing with the help of an £8.16 million grant from the Greater London Authority.

Sutton will then launch a bidding process to secure a developer for the site, with a detailed application expected to go before the Council’s Planning Committee this autumn. If approved, construction could begin before the end of the year.