Published: Monday 13 December 2021
Plans for a scheme which will deliver 100 per cent social rent homes for our residents, have been given the green light by councillors.
The scheme will deliver 11 social rent homes at the Silchester Arches site in North Kensington, and will all be allocated to those residents on our housing waiting list who are in desperate need of a place to call home.
Silchester Arches is one of our phase two sites which forms part of the New Homes Delivery Programme. The programme aims to build 600 new homes in the borough, 300 of which will be for social rent.
The Silchester Arches planning application was submitted following three rounds of public consultation including ‘You said, We did’ sessions to show residents how the plans had been adapted to take on board their feedback. We listened to residents throughout the process and amended the design to reduce the height of the building in response to feedback.
The new homes are to be designed and constructed to reduce CO2 emissions and reduce energy bills for residents. This will be achieved by the energy efficient design of the building and by implementing measures such as windows with low solar heat transmission value, energy efficient lighting and controls, mechanical ventilation with heat recovery and highly insulated and air-tight building. Electricity smart meters will be provided to all residents and heating and cooling will bel individually energy metered.
There will also be a chance for local apprenticeships on site as well as other jobs for nearby residents and suppliers.
Construction on the new homes will start in spring 2022 with residents expected to move in by end of 2023.
Cllr Kim Taylor-Smith, Lead Member for Grenfell, Housing and Social Investment, said:
“This is great news for local residents on our housing waiting list, some of whom have already had to wait a number of years to get a home. Housing and social housing is the most important issue to residents in this borough – they told us that. All of our residents deserve a safe, secure home with enough space to live comfortably, and outdoor space to enjoy fresh air.
“This is the first of our phase two sites to get the go ahead and this follows the 97 homes that we received planning permission for in phase one. We are on our way to building homes for local residents of which I am very proud.
"In light of our recent pause on works at Edenham, we know we have some very difficult decisions ahead of us to enable us to build much-needed homes but I am committed to listening and working with residents on schemes across the borough.”