Waltham Forest Council has appointed The Hill Group as its contractor to build 83 new affordable homes on the Priory Court Estate, Walthamstow. In July 2023, the scheme received planning permission for a mixed-tenure scheme, and in March 2024 proposals were approved by Cabinet to switch the scheme to 100 per cent affordable housing.
The development includes eight fully accessible homes, alongside a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments. There are 21 homes allocated for social rent, with 10 reserved as family sized apartments with three bedrooms, while 62 properties will be provided as shared ownership.
In addition to the new homes, the estate will benefit from a new larger multi-use games area (MUGA) built to Sports England standards, complete with floodlights and a designated seating area. This new MUGA will replace the current facility on the estate. A new children’s play space, complete with a range of equipment, plus a ‘play way’ route featuring a range of recreational activities alongside landscaped areas will be developed. Finally, a range of estate improvement works, including CCTV and enhanced street lighting will also be installed.
Cllr Ahsan Khan, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Housing and Regeneration said: “We are delighted to appoint The Hill Group as our contractor for Priory Court development scheme. As an award-winning five-star housebuilder, they have a strong connection to Waltham Forest and have already delivered several high-quality regeneration schemes in other parts of the borough.
“We must remain proactive and ambitious with our housing delivery plans. Building more social housing for local families who are on our housing waiting list is vital and reduces the number of people living in temporary accommodation.
“The scheme will provide many other benefits for existing tenants and the wider community. Residents can look forward to the new MUGA and play areas, and new jobs and apprenticeships will be created for local people during the construction work.”
Simon Trice, Managing Director at The Hill Group, said “We are pleased to be a part of this project and look forward to working with Waltham Forest Council once again, together with local partners, and our supply chain, to deliver much-needed new homes within the borough, as well as providing impactful social value to the residents and wider community. This includes creating 23 jobs / employment opportunities, including six apprenticeships, school engagement, volunteering, and supporting charitable initiatives.”
Works will start in summer 2024, with completion anticipated by 2026.