The Mayor of Lewisham, Damien Egan, led a topping out ceremony recently for a new social housing scheme in Sydenham that is set to deliver 32 new social homes for local residents, as part of Lewisham Council‘s Building for Lewisham programme.
The project on Mayow Road replaces a disused warehouse building and will deliver 26 self-contained apartments, providing temporary accommodation for homeless families. This will enable families to move out of nightly-paid accommodation, such as bed and breakfasts and hostels, and into good quality homes with their own private space and facilities.
Six supported living apartments for young adults with learning disabilities and autism are also included in the scheme. Working in partnership with NHS England through their Transforming Care programme, the supported living accommodation will help residents to live more independently in a safe, inclusive and integrated setting. As part of the development, supported living residents will be provided with 24/7 on-site care and support, as well as their own communal garden.
The project forms part of the Council’s Building for Lewisham programme, which is delivering new social homes across the borough for local residents. With around 10,000 families on Lewisham’s housing waiting list, building new social housing is a vital part of the Council’s work to tackle the housing crisis.
The new homes at Mayow Road will help reduce the number of families staying in nightly paid accommodation, providing them with better quality accommodation and saving money which can be invested in other vital services for local residents.
Damien Egan, Mayor of Lewisham, said: “More new social homes in our community help homeless families currently living in bed and breakfasts and hostels. This development will also provide new homes for adults with learning disabilities and autism.
“I look forward to seeing the completed scheme later this year and meeting some of the new residents once they have moved in.”
Phil Burrows, Construction Director for Higgins Partnerships said: “We are delighted to be able to mark this milestone stage of this project with the Mayor of Lewisham leading our topping out ceremony.
“As well as delivering much needed affordable homes we are proud to be providing apprenticeship and training opportunities for the local community as well as working with local schools to promote the range of career opportunities available within the construction industry.”
Ainsley Forbes, Chair of Lewisham Homes, commented: “We are proud to be delivering such a high-quality development as part of Lewisham Council’s continuing efforts to address acute housing needs in the borough.
“We are clearly setting a benchmark with an exemplary and inclusive building which truly enhances its setting and would like to commend our contractor Higgins Partnerships and the Lewisham Homes development team for getting us to this milestone.”
The topping out ceremony marks a major milestone in the scheme’s construction, with the scheme due to be completed by October 2022. At the ceremony, the Mayor was joined by Cllr Paul Bell, Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning, and Cllr Chris Best, Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Social Care.
Lewisham Homes, the Council’s housing company, are delivering the development in partnership with their contractor, Higgins Partnerships. The scheme has been designed by Avanti Architects to fit in with the local surroundings, using high-quality materials and detailing, with balconies and full-height windows provided throughout the building.
Header image shows Damien Egan, Mayor of Lewisham, with representatives from Lewisham Council, Lewisham Homes and Higgins Partnerships.
