Hope Gardens, a 60-unit temporary accommodation solution is opening in Acton, providing accommodation for nearly 290 Ealing residents that find themselves homeless in the lead up to Christmas.
Made of moveable and reusable parts of UK-produced shipping containers, the Acton development is the second joint venture between QED and Ealing Council. QED’s objective is to make use of brownfield sites for interim housing, providing short-term emergency accommodation. The Hope Gardens site is one of many underused sites in the London Borough of Ealing’s portfolio identified for long-term redevelopment — this site set to be a ‘pocket park’ for the borough in seven years’ time. In the meantime, the project between QED and the council provides a new solution for some of the 2200 families in Ealing who are currently residing in temporary accommodation.
Ealing Council are currently providing solutions for these families which include buying housing inside and outside the borough, placing families in decanted homes in estates that will be knocked down, and paying for them to stay in B&Bs. However, this development provides a far more cost-effective solution for the council. It also allows residents to live in attractive new homes, with their own bathrooms and kitchens and within close proximity to their local community. The 60-unit development consists of one-, two- and three-bedroom properties, which are provided fully furnished. The site also comprises communal space, an onsite management office, laundry services and refuse storage.
This is the second joint venture between QED Sustainable Urban Developments and Ealing Council following the successful opening of Marston Court in April 2017. However, this site offers almost twice as many units, becoming the largest temporary accommodation development in the UK. Ealing Council Leader Julian Bell commented: “This is a significant move on in terms of scale and quality”.
Partnering with other local organisations, the site aims to provide a sense of community for the new residents. Cultivate London will be helping with the landscaping of the area, whilst ARTification will provide a mural for the side of the shipping containers.
