Croydon unveils new town centre council homes

Ninety Croydon families on the borough’s housing waiting list will soon move into a new affordable apartment block offering council homes at council rents.

The new apartment building, named Malcolm Wicks House as a dedication to a former local MP, is located opposite the council offices and is part of the develop HUB’s 513-home regeneration of the old Taberner House council offices and Queen’s Gardens.

The overall development site has four residential blocks ranging from 13-35 storeys, with the other three blocks being built for London and Quadrant and Legal & General.

There will also be shops, commercial space, landscaping to the gardens and a café at the site.

Cllr Patricia Hay-Justice, cabinet member for homes, said: ‘Malcolm Wicks House will provide 90 great-quality council homes at council rents for people on our housing list. We are committed to doing all we can to tackle the housing crisis, and this new development will help provide much-needed affordable homes thanks to support from the Mayor of London’s Building Council Homes for Londoners scheme.

‘This building is a fitting tribute to a dedicated former local MP, a great use of the site of Croydon’s old headquarters, and I hope our new council residents will be very happy in their homes.’

Damien Sharkey, managing director of developer HUB, added: ‘We’re proud to deliver 90 affordable homes to Croydon Council. We’re looking forward to completing the rest of the development later this year, including the new Queen’s Gardens which we co-designed with the local community.’

In related news, the Mayor of London has agreed a deal with government to provide nearly £3.5bn for new homes with councils and housing associations across London in the first round of bidding for the Mayor’s five-year affordable housing programme.

Photo supplied by Croydon Council