Tenants in new Greenwich Builds council houses have endorsed the eco-credentials of their zero carbon homes during a visit by Royal Borough of Greenwich Member for Housing, Councillor Anthony Okereke.
The new homes at Southspring in Eltham South were completed earlier this year, with tenants moving in over the past two months. Built on two sites these three family houses are part of the much larger Greenwich Builds programme, which will see over 750 new homes built across Royal Greenwich.
Christina and her two daughters said the favourite feature of their new home was its garden, a big improvement compared to their old flat on the top floor of an apartment block in Plumstead. Christina also said she appreciated the peace and quiet in their new neighbourhood. When asked how many council homes they thought Royal Borough of Greenwich should build, her daughters answered “millions!”.
Next door neighbours Ginta and her daughter were full of praise for the eco-friendly features of their new home, including solar panels, heat pumps and efficient insulation, which they said had massively reduced their energy bill to just £30 per month.
This sustainable technology is being used throughout the Greenwich Builds programme, reaffirming the council’s commitment to tackling both the housing crisis and climate emergency as outlined in its draft Carbon Neutral Plan.
Both families said they had been on housing waiting lists for 10 years, emphasising the urgent need for more truly affordable homes to be built.
Member for Housing Cllr Anthony Okereke said: “It’s been fantastic to visit these beautiful, sustainable new council homes and meet the families who are benefiting from them.
“We are especially proud that Greenwich Builds homes such as those at Southspring are helping us to tackle the climate emergency by meeting the highest sustainability standards, as well as providing much-needed high-quality accommodation.
“London’s housing crisis is a blight on the lives of far too many people in our community, enshrining inequality for generations. We are glad to be building truly affordable council homes for those on lower incomes, after too many years when councils were prevented from doing so by central government restrictions.”
Header image shows tenant Ginta with Royal Borough of Greenwich Member for Housing Cllr Anthony Okereke pose with the air source heat pump fan at Ginta’s new Greenwich Builds council home.
