Higgins has clinched a deal with London’s Lambeth Council to build more than 360 new homes in the heart of Brixton. The council is set to work with Higgins Group on the second phase of development in Somerleyton Road under proposals for a net-zero development of 363 new homes, of which 54 per cent, 195 homes, would be affordable and 138 of these would be for social rent.
The development partner was chosen through a procurement process for the scheme and will build on the first phase of the Somerleyton Road project which saw significant local projects completed. Those included the opening of the new Brixton House theatre and the refurbishment of the locally listed Carlton Mansions.
Carlton Mansions now runs as an affordable workspace for local businesses, and Brixton House theatre has a mission to empower the undervalued, unheard, and excluded communities through creative and cultural spaces.
The second phase of development, which is still subject to planning permission being granted, also includes plans for 63 extra care homes, a two-story standalone community gym and improvements and upgrades to Somerleyton Road itself.
Councillor Danny Adilypour, Deputy Leader of the Council and Member for Sustainable Growth and New Homes said: “Appointing a delivery partner is an important step towards building desperately needed high quality and energy efficient new affordable homes while maintaining our focus on maximising delivery of new homes at Social Rent. There are also important improvements to the local area and community benefits proposed.
“This proposal also exceeded our affordable and extra care homes targets, which is a real achievement at a time when the spike in inflation has made building so much more expensive, and when every single new affordable home matters in Lambeth.
“We have set a target to deliver more than 500 much-needed new affordable homes by 2030, to maximise the number of new homes at Social Rent within this and to get these new homes built at pace. To achieve this we need to work with like-minded partners who have the experience to support us in delivering these homes, which we simply would not be able to do by ourselves following over a decade of deep cuts to local government funding and underinvestment in social housing.
“Through their commitment to excellent community engagement, I am looking forward to seeing the many opportunities that Higgins will provide to our residents throughout this project. From co-design sessions on the development plans to job and skills opportunities through the construction phase of the project, we will work together to bring positive social and economic impacts to Brixton and wider Lambeth.”
Following formal agreement of this partnership this month, the pre-planning and resident engagement work for Somerleyton phase two are due to begin in Autumn 2024.
Declan Higgins, Chief Executive Officer at Higgins Group added: “We are delighted to be appointed as Lambeth’s development partners to deliver the second phase of Somerleyton Road. We understand the Council’s objectives for the accelerated delivery of affordable homes and are committed to working with residents and stakeholders to create affordable, sustainable communities addressing local housing needs.
“We are committed to engaging with the community throughout the design process and will deliver meaningful social value initiatives focussed on the needs of residents including training and employment, volunteering and community support. We look forward to collaborating with residents and stakeholders as well as the team at Lambeth and the community to bring these exciting plans to fruition.”
The Somerleyton Road phase two procurement process was carried out under a competitive procedure which began in August 2023 after a Cabinet approval in July 2023.
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