New council homes replace old garages in Islington

Tenants have moved into new council homes in Islington on the site of rundown garages and former bedsits.

Islington Council has created the 13 new homes for Islington residents to rent and buy on the Brunswick Court Estate, EC1.

Six new council homes for social rent, four shared ownership homes and three for market sale were built on land where boarded-up garages and an old oil tank once stood, on a neglected part of the estate.  Old bedsits were also transformed into new wheelchair accessible homes.

The new one, two and three bedroom homes are all built to a high standard, are well-insulated and with private outdoor space.

Two of the new council homes were allocated through Islington's Local Lettings and Local Sales policy, which gives people from the local estate first chance to rent the new council homes. The four wheelchair accessible homes were allocated to wheelchair users. People living and working in Islington have also been given first chance at the homes for shared-ownership and market sale.

Work was also carried out to improve the estate including new lighting, new paving, new trees and planting, new secure cycle stores and a refurbished TMO office.

Local residents joined councillors to celebrate the completion of the new homes at a community event on August 2.  The event was sponsored by construction company Mulalley, which carried out the work.

Cllr Diarmaid Ward, Islington Council's executive member for housing and development, said: "Islington is facing a housing crisis, and we're committed to building more genuinely affordable housing for local residents.

"Under our local lettings policy, people from the local estate were given priority for the new council homes, which were built on a part of the estate that was underused and attracted anti-social behaviour.  We've also created four new wheelchair accessible homes.

"I'd like to say a big thanks to all the residents who put up with inconvenience and disruption during this major project.  It's great to see the end result – good new council homes and a better-looking estate."

Lennox Charles, chairman of the estate’s tenant management organisation, said: “I am very happy today to see this great change. When I joined the TMO in 2000 there were all these old garages and it was very dilapidated around here.

“But if you have the vision and you can see, you can stay positive. It is a completely different place now; it’s a great estate. I feel good looking down from the 12^th floor, and we are looking forward to welcoming the new residents into the TMO.”

Mulalley operations director John Moore said: “We are proud to assist on this exciting project which will breathe new life into the Brunswick Estate.

"These new homes demonstrate the innovative ways we are helping to create much-needed new homes in partnership with Islington Council.”

The Brunswick Court scheme is part of Islington Council's ongoing commitment to build new council homes.  Other recently schemes include Lyon House, off Caledonian Road, and at Parkhurst Road in Holloway.

For more about new council housing in Islington see www.islington.gov.uk/newbuild.