Southwark Council, local residents and builders Bouygues UK celebrated the completion of 120 new affordable homes at the Flaxyard site in Peckham this week.
Local children from St James the Great primary school gave a brass band performance to commemorate the occasion.
The Flaxyard development provides 96 new council homes and 24 shared ownership homes, as well as a new commercial space on the ground floor, a roof terrace with picturesque views of the London skyline, play areas, cycle storage and disabled parking.
The development is made up of three separate blocks, named Annie Brewster, George Roberts and Robert Branford. Annie Brewster is named after one of the first African-Caribbean nurses to work in Britain who became a leader in eye care. George Roberts is named after the Trinidadian soldier, firefighter and community leader who fought for Britain in the Second World War. Robert Branford is named after the 19th century policeman who is reputed to be the first Black police officer in London.
Cllr Helen Dennis, Cabinet Member for New Homes and Sustainable Development, said, “We want everyone in Southwark to live in decent, safe and well-maintained homes, and building more affordable homes, especially council homes is at the heart of this ambition.
“I’m so proud to be completing these brand new homes for local people, despite all the economic challenges over recent years. There is a housing crisis and it is vital that we continue to build new homes in response.
“Located in the heart of Peckham, close to local facilities including schools, the library and leisure centre, this 100% affordable housing development will provide wonderful new homes for local people, and I look forward to celebrating with residents when they start to move in.”
Jennifer, a local business owner who attended the celebration event, said, “Council flats are good for the community because there are lots of people on the waiting lists. The homes look nice and they are affordable.”
Ishmel Brady, Flaxyard Project Manager, added, “Having grown up in Peckham, it has always been my dream to build something meaningful in the area. This project is a testament to the dedication and hard work of everyone involved, and I am incredibly proud to see it come to fruition.”
Southwark Council requires all their building contractors to give back to the local community as part of their new homes projects.
Bouygues UK has contributed over £6m worth of social value projects, including over 300 hours of volunteering in the local area and donations of over £40,000 to local charities.
They also spent more than £10,000 on small local businesses and helped over 50 local unemployed residents benefit from training and employment sessions.
Southwark is one of the largest local authority home builders in the country, having already built 1,740 new council homes and with 1,317 more council homes under construction. Despite very challenging economic conditions affecting affordable housebuilding across London, the council is making every effort to start 1,000 new council homes by 2026.
Southwark Council is campaigning for the future of council homes. Its report Securing the Future of Council Housing, is backed by more than 100 councils across England. It is calling for five actions from Government to save council homes, including steps to make it easier to build new and replacement homes.