Developer Lovell has been chosen as the preferred developer to rebuild the new council homes in Sutton, London.
Sutton Council has put forward plans to build 290 homes in the Sutton town centre, the Elm Grove Estate, with 50 per cent of the homes to be ‘genuinely’ affordable.
The council has agreed to appoint Lovell as preferred bidder for the redevelopment of the existing home, at a meeting of the Housing, Economy & Business Committee in July 2024.
This follows the developer reporting a strong position for continued growth as revenues and profits went up in parent-company Morgan Sindall’s 2024 half year results.
Works on the new development are scheduled to start in May 2025.
The new homes aim to meet high sustainability standards for greater comfort, energy efficiency, and lower heating bills for residents.
The scheme, along with the council’s Northern Gateway adult education centre project are a part of the council’s plans to transform the town centre.
Elm Grove currently has 73 homes, built in the 1970s with a history of anti-social behaviour, overcrowding, inaccessibility and mistreating of the local environment.
The new development hopes to include:
- Affordable homes in a mixed-tenure community.
- Around 290 new homes for new and existing
- A range of unit sizes.
- Private external space: a balcony or garden and new communal courtyards and play Space for residents.
- Public realm improvements, more trees, lighting and planting.
- New routes for local residents.
79 per cent of residents voted in favour of the plans in March 2022, and existing eligible residents choosing to stay on the estate are set to be offered a new home.
Mick Laws, regional managing director of Lovell London, said: “We are delighted to have been selected by London Borough of Sutton to work with them on this significant town centre project.
“Regeneration and partnerships are the cornerstone of our business, and we are excited to deliver these new, much needed high-quality homes for the people of Sutton.”
Councillor Jake Short, chair of Sutton’s housing, economy and business committee, said: “This is a really exciting step forward in the Council’s plans to build new quality and affordable homes for our residents in the heart of Sutton town centre, and tackle the Housing Crisis.
“Our new council homes across the borough have already been recognised for their high design and environmental standards.
“The selection of an experienced development partner means our goal to deliver incredible homes and open spaces for Elm Grove residents can now move to the next stage..
“We have been driven by what Elm Grove residents want their future homes to look like and now this vision is set to become a reality with construction works currently scheduled to start early Summer 2025.”
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