The council has formally approved a £143m funding package to build the first 351 homes across ten council-owned sites under its Accelerated Housing Programme. The decision, taken as the administration moves to speed up delivery of new council homes, marks the start of a wider plan to construct 3,300 homes on 42 sites across the borough.
What the funding covers
The funding mix for the initial phase draws on several sources. The Greater London Authority will provide £70m in grant funding while £30.6m will come from Right to Buy receipts held by the council. The remainder of the package — calculated at £42.4m — completes the total committed today.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Total approved | £143m |
| GLA grant | £70m |
| Right to Buy receipts | £30.6m |
| Other council funding | £42.4m |
Affordability and local consultation
The programme sets a borough-wide target of delivering a minimum of 51% affordable housing per site. The council says the scheme prioritises family-sized homes and improvements to public spaces alongside construction.
“This is an important milestone in delivering on our commitment to provide the genuinely affordable and family-sized homes our residents need,”
The mayor stressed that community engagement has been central to the plans and that further consultations will continue ahead of planning submissions. Residents will see proposals shaped by those local conversations, the council says.
Programme scale and next steps
The first 10 sites form just the initial tranche of a larger strategy that includes a search for development and investment partners to help deliver a longer-term pipeline. In March the council launched a formal search for partners to assist in bringing forward a much bigger target of some 52,000 planned homes across east London, signalling an ambition to link the borough’s housebuilding with wider investment plans.
- Phase one: 351 homes on 10 sites.
- Programme target: 3,300 homes across 42 council-owned sites.
- Affordable target: minimum 51% per site.
The council’s commitment to this funding package will be watched closely by residents and campaigners for genuinely affordable housing, as the scheme moves from planning and consultation into the delivery phase.
