First zero-carbon council homes in Haringey
Solar panels, super-efficient insulation and air-source heat pumps cut emissions and energy bills in pioneering project in London.
This week, Tom Copley, Deputy Mayor of London for Housing, Council Leader Cllr Peray Ahmet, and Cllr Ruth Gordon, Cabinet Member for Council House Building, Placemaking & Local Economy at Haringey Council, met some of the 18 families already living in the completed, award-winning development in Watts Close.
Cllr Peray Ahmet (Leader of Haringey Council), Tom Copley (Deputy Mayor of London for Housing and Residential Development) and Cllr Ruth Gordon (Cabinet Member for Council House Building, Placemaking & Local Economy at Haringey Council) at Watts Close, photo courtesy of Haringey Council
As well as the tech such as solar panels and heat pumps, the green roof increases the area’s biodiversity. Decarbonising homes in this way makes a significant contribution to improved air quality, and better health outcomes for everyone.
The newly completed development includes two four-bedroom homes. A third of the flats on the site have at least three bedrooms. All properties are let at council rents.
With the solar panels and other tech, the new homes are expected to produce 11% more energy than they will themselves use for heating, hot water etc.
What’s more, two homes are fully wheelchair accessible and have car parking spaces. The ground-floor flats also boast private gardens, while upstairs flats have balconies. The exterior of the site includes a children’s play area, new trees and extensive green landscaping. Embedded security measures on the site have already won a Gold Award from Secured by Design, the national police crime prevention initiative.
The Watts Close properties are among 200 new council homes recently completed in Haringey, but the council is committed to building 3,000 by 2031. In fact, construction on 2,000 of these is already under way. Earlier in March, Mr Copley and Cllr Gordon visited three further sites in the borough that are nearing completion – Hale Wharf, Walter Tull and the Chocolate Factory.
Tom Copley says: ‘It’s fantastic to see some of the brand new council homes that Haringey Council are delivering. When Sadiq Khan was elected mayor in 2016, delivering a new generation of council housing was one of his top priorities. As part of that, he set up the ambitious Building Council Homes for Londoners programme. This has turbocharged council housing delivery, with 23,000 council homes started across London since 2018. Boroughs like Haringey are leading the way on this.
‘These homes will have a transformative effect on people’s lives. It is an absolute scandal and tragedy that, across London, one in 23 children are now homeless, living in temporary accommodation. Brand new council homes that are genuinely affordable, high quality and decent, with good space standards, are going to make a real, transformative difference to the lives of Londoners and to the people of Haringey.’
Cllr Ruth Gordon, adds: ‘We couldn’t build these flats [and homes] if it was not for the support from the Greater London Assembly. Shortly, tenants will be moving into these flats. They are high quality flats, very comfortable and very secure. We hope our tenants will be very happy here.’
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