There is an exceptional need for new homes in the Borough with, at present, over 12,000 applicants on the Council’s housing waiting list, over 3,600 of whom are in temporary accommodation. Wandsworth Council approved a development programme in 2017, with the aim to build 1,000 new homes across the Borough on sites within the Council’s ownership.
Following the 2022 elections, Wandsworth Council has been targeting a series of actions to address the housing crisis Wandsworth faces. One of these is the Homes for Wandsworth programme’s focus on council homes. This will deliver 1,000 council homes – over 500 more than previously planned.
These homes will be delivered for local people and will be normally allocated to existing council tenants from the Estate, or the wider vicinity, who have an existing priority due to their homes either being overcrowded or underoccupied. This will then free up homes for those on the waiting lists.
Our approach to consultation and engagement is set out in our Homes for Wandsworth FAQs.
Consultation events will usually be in the form of drop-in sessions, held as locally as possible to the proposed development site. We are also happy to receive feedback and comments from residents and stakeholders who may not be able to attend or have missed an event, and this can be provided by email to developmentteam@wandsworth.gov.uk.
For our Lennox Estate development proposals, there is also a dedicated website – www.lennox-homesforwandsworth.co.uk.
To date, three separate engagement events have been held at the Paddock Upper School on Arabella Drive, directly next door to the Lennox Estate, the first on 13th June 2023, the second on 20th February 2024 and the third event on 26th November 2024. Additionally, two youth engagement events were held on the MUGA on the Lennox Estate on 30th July 2024 and 7th August 2024.
Information displayed at our most recent engagement event can be found here. We are still in the process of receiving and collating feedback on the latest proposals for new homes and wider estate improvements. Should you wish to make any comments on the proposals, please email developmentteam@richmondandwandsworth.gov.uk. Further updates will be provided prior to any planning application being made. When a planning application is made, neighbouring residents will be able to make representations on the plan proposals as part of the statutory planning consultation period.
It is not the case that money is being spent on building new homes instead of managing the Council’s existing stock. Existing stock is well-managed with schemes of major works undertaken as part of the cyclical works programmes across all the Council’s estates.
For more information and timeframes for major works taking place on the Lennox Estate, please visit here. If you are awaiting a repair in your council flat for a specific issue, the best course of action would be to report the repair through the Council's dedicated repairs portal.
The Western Area Housing Team, who are based in Roehampton, manage day to day matters arising, including repairs required inside tenanted homes, issues with private gardens, estate parking permits, and all other tenancy matters including dealing with anti-social behaviour and squatters.
A full range of housing management services and contact information can be found on the Council’s website: -
https://www.wandsworth.gov.uk/housing/council-tenants-and-leaseholders/repairs-and-maintenance/
Our current proposals provide a total of 81 new homes. This includes 9 fully adapted wheelchair accessible homes.
The Council will, in liaison with its consultants and contractors, seek to minimise disruption and disturbance to existing residents as far as possible. A Construction and Environmental Management Plan (CEMP) would form part of any future planning application and would be a condition of any future planning permission. This, in effect, would require the development to comply with agreed standards and methodologies for logistics, access for construction vehicles, dust mitigation measures, pollution control, disturbance minimisation and any other construction matter deemed relevant for the site and any wider estate works areas. The final CEMP would be the result of extensive discussions with the Council.
Any appointed contractors will be required to provide regular updates to local residents on the nature of works to be carried out and the dates for those works. Any appointed contractor will appoint a site manager and resident liaison officer, who will act as the primary points of contact for construction-related enquiries.
Additionally, the Council has embedded Social Value outcomes in its tender, procurement and contract award processes, in order to deliver meaningful benefits to its residents. This will ensure that as part of any future construction programme, employment, skills and training opportunities will be offered by the Council’s appointed contractor. This includes local labour initiatives, work experience and apprenticeship opportunities being offered by the main contractor, as well as some of the subcontractors who may be operating on the site. Information on such initiatives and opportunities will be provided by the appointed contractors’ regular communication channels and site progress updates.
We are still in the pre-planning stages. Subject to obtaining planning consent for a development scheme, we do not anticipate commencing works prior to mid-2026. Build timescales will depend on the complexity of the build and the number of homes. We will provide more information on the anticipated build programme as more defined proposals are brought forward.
We are aware that some members of the local community have expressed their interest in the material that is being used by Wandsworth Council and the project team to inform the plans for the site. To ensure that everyone has equal access to this information, the current completed reports have been made available on this website, so that the material is accessible to everyone.
When the planning application has been submitted to the local planning authority, all relevant information (including studies, drawings, and technical information) that has been prepared and used by the project team will be submitted and able to be viewed by the public on the local planning authority’s planning portal.
We have appointed Pollard Thomas Edwards to be the architects for the scheme, they have extensive experience in designing homes with Local Authorities.
The landscape architects are Farrer Huxley Associates.
www.lennox-homesforwandsworth.co.uk
Further information on the Homes for Wandsworth programme can be found at www.wandsworth.gov.uk/newhomes
The proposals are aiming to provide high quality green space. By closing part of Arabella Drive, a new area would be unlocked to provide green space and new homes. By removing the wall along Upper Richmond Road, new open space will also be freed up at the northern edge of the site. Improved entrances and active frontage onto Upper Richmond Road can create a better pedestrian environment.
The existing MUGA will be re provided. The new design will be more accessible and inclusive for a wider range of residents. The new games area will measure 19m by 26m and will be able to be used for a wide range of activities. A community space will also be provided as part of the new taller building. The space is being designed as a flexible community facility that could be used by a variety of occupiers. The detailed proposals will be discussed with local community groups and organisations that may use the space in the future.
Designs are also aiming to improve the areas to the edge of Beverley Brook to make it visually permeable and inviting to wildlife.
The design team is collaborating with the Council’s tree officer and an independent tree specialist to retain as many trees as possible. Where trees may need to be removed, these will be reprovided, at least like for like. Tree species will be chosen from the Council’s tree list to ensure longevity and retention of the Lennox Estate’s leafy character.
It is proposed that the northern section of Arabella Drive is closed to vehicles, and a new low-traffic one-way vehicular route could be introduced along Ludovick Walk. This would allow vehicles to access parking and allow emergency access to all properties.
By closing part of Arabella Drive, not only will more space be created on the estate, but this will also make pedestrian movement safer and easier.
A new Lennox Estate Parking Regulation Scheme can be introduced, which will ensure that only residents of the homes on the estate can secure parking permits free of charge.
Residents of any new homes will be precluded from securing parking permits, except for those residents who may be transferring into the new homes from existing homes on the estate. This is expected to be a condition of any planning consent that may be granted in the future.
There is an opportunity to re-route the 969-bus route, to continue to stop on the estate. We are aware the 969 operates only two days a week.
This is not the case. The proposals aim to provide new pedestrian entrances to Upper Richmond Road and provide a better sense of arrival to the estate, in addition to improving access routes through this part of the estate.
Routes across the new open space will make it easier to access nearby services and facilities.
Clear pedestrian routes in front of new homes, alongside new lighting, will make it feel much safer to walk through the estate any time of day or night.
This is not strictly the case. There will be some impact to some properties. A daylight and sunlight impact assessment will be submitted as part of the planning application. An initial assessment has been undertaken based on the very early development proposals and this assessment is located in the downloads section of the website.
It should be noted that most existing homes are located to the south of the main development site area and most existing homes would not suffer any loss of daylight or sunlight to their properties.
Antisocial behaviour should be reported directly to the Western Area Housing Team.
As part of any development proposals, we aim to make improvements to lighting and security to accessways and footpaths, in addition to implementing a CCTV strategy for new homes and areas around the development site.
We are proposing a number of wider estate environmental improvements, including: -
- Improvements to walking and cycling routes - to better connect different part of the estate together.
- Improved lighting across the estate, making routes and open spaces feel safer.
- Enhancements to open and green spaces across the estate.
- Make underused spaces around the estate greener and more playful.
- Improve the play facilities to meet the needs of children of different ages, backgrounds and needs.
- Manage flooding and puddling on roads and public spaces through landscape.
All the new homes will be for council rent.
The Council will be developing the new homes directly.
This means the Council is the developer and will directly appoint a main building contractor to build the new homes.
We will not be selling the land at any point; the Council will always remain the freehold owner of the site and will manage all the affordable homes along with the maintenance of communal and external areas.
Alternative sites across Wandsworth have been considered and multiple developments have already been completed as part of the Homes for Wandsworth programme, providing much needed homes to those on the Council’s waiting lists. Please visit the ‘where we are building homes’ tab on the Council’s dedicated website www.wandsworth.gov.uk/newhomes for more information.
The Lennox Estate is therefore one of many sites that provide a fantastic opportunity to build much needed affordable homes and contribute to wider estate improvements to benefit existing residents.
The Lennox Youth Club is now occupied under a commercial lease agreement and will be operated as a boxing club / gym. We understand that the operators of the club plan to use it as a facility to offer nominal cost training and mentoring to young people from estates in Putney and Roehampton.
Our commitment is to reprovide a facility for the boxing club within the new development. It will not be moved off the estate and our aim is to allow the club to continue to operate even during the build process.
Site-specific information is commercially sensitive, however programme-wide finances are regularly reviewed by Wandsworth Council’s Finance Committee.
If planning permission is granted, new residents of the proposed buildings will pay a service charge in accordance with their tenancy agreement. The addition of the proposed buildings will not affect leaseholder block charges but it should reduce the estate service charge percentage as there would be more households paying towards garden maintenance, estate cleaning and lighting.
Any new rented affordable homes being developed will be allocated in line with our Housing Allocations Scheme.
A Local Lettings Plan will be put in place. The aim of the Local Lettings plan will be to give priority for allocation of the new homes to existing council tenants from the Lennox Estate, or the wider vicinity, who have an existing priority for housing due to their homes either being overcrowded or underoccupied. Any Local Lettings Plan will not become operational until development has moved forward in its construction.
If you would like to make an application to go onto our housing register for social housing, you will need to register here:
Apply to join the housing waiting list - Wandsworth Borough Council
Applications for housing are assessed under the Council’s Housing Allocation Scheme. More detail can be found here:
Qualifying and priority criteria for social housing - Wandsworth Borough Council
We can give no guarantee as to the allocation of any new homes as this would be dependent on the terms of the Local Lettings Plan, the applicants circumstances and housing priority.
If you have any further queries regarding the application process or available housing options, contact housingregisterapplications@wandsworth.gov.uk