Council plans to buy more than 200 homes on a development site to provide as affordable homes, reports Grace Howarth, Local Democracy Reporter

The New Avenue Estate development (credit Google)

Enfield Council is seeking to purchase a further 60 homes on a development site in Southgate.

A deal between developer Countryside Properties UK (CPUK) and the council to regenerate the New Avenue Estate in Welham Road was first made in 2014, with the aim of transforming the “aging, poorly designed” estate.

The plan was to demolish 171 homes and in their place create a “safe residential neighbourhood with 502 high quality homes”.

There are 127 homes completed on phase one, made up of 78 affordable homes and 49 private homes. In phase two, 156 have been delivered, comprising 57 affordable homes and 99 private homes.

Development “has stalled” on the third and final phase of 219 homes, however, prompting the council to come up with a plan to acquire all of them from the developer.

As well as a “challenging economic climate”, the report states: “Rising construction costs, labour shortages, and a sharp slowdown in private sales have made it unviable for CPUK to proceed with the phase.”

In the final phase, 159 had originally been planned for private sale and the remaining 60 for London Affordable Rent. But under new council plans, all 219 homes, once acquired, would be made available as 100% affordable housing.

The report states the council has been working with CPUK to “explore options” and has been in discussion with the Greater London Authority (GLA) regarding an “additional grant”.

This had resulted in a plan earlier this year to acquire the initial 159 homes, “unlocking” the otherwise “stalled” final phase, but with the added intention now of also securing the other 60 homes.

Speaking at a cabinet meeting on Wednesday (5th) cabinet member for housing Ayten Guzel gave a positive update, saying: “The acquisition will be funded with GLA funding and housing revenue account [council] investment.”

This deal, she said “maximises the council’s ambition and the number of affordable homes delivered in the borough” while also helping the council meet its housing targets.

Further details on funding were discussed in private.

The housing mix on the third phase is 83 one-bedroom homes, 89 two-bedroom, and 27 three-bedroom, with 10% of the total also being wheelchair accessible.

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