Hundreds of homeless families could be housed in a new tower after a site was purchased by a North London council.
Brent Council has confirmed that it will purchase land in Edgware Road, Colindale which will be redeveloped and used for temporary accommodation.
The new building, which will be up to 18 stories tall, will have 110 apartments, as well as five commercial units, which will either be rented on a short-term basis or sold with 125-year leases.
Senior housing adviser Eleanor Southwood said this was an opportunity the council could not pass up as it would help ‘get people off the waiting list for housing’.
The flats, located at the junction with Grove Park on the A5 Barnet border, will be offered as part of Local Housing Benefit, which for Brent is currently between £115 and £379 per month.
The cost of the purchase has not been disclosed under the Local Government Act 1972 but, according to a report by Brent Council, it is deemed financially viable.
When plans were officially approved, it was originally to be offered for general sale.
Under this initial agreement, only 14 units (13%) were deemed affordable and had to be advertised as condominiums.
Although it has been approved by Brent Council, it has met with some opposition, with residents criticizing the size of the building and the impact it will have on the surrounding area.
They suggested that the new development will increase the impact on parking and traffic congestion on and around the A5.
They added that it would put a strain on local infrastructure, especially schools and medical practices in the area.
And they felt the lack of affordable housing meant the development would not serve the local population or help solve the borough’s housing crisis.
This last point has been resolved by buying the council, with all the units put in place to help those in need of accommodation.
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Source: www.times-series.co.uk
This notice was published: 2022-03-08 12:05:00
