Acton Gardens unveils brand-new PRS block
The award-winning Acton Gardens regeneration project, a partnership between Ealing Council, L&Q and home builder Countryside, has unveiled its first Private Rented Sector (PRS) block of 72 high quality apartments.
The new twelve storey apartment building was officially opened by Councillor Julian Bell, Leader of Ealing Council on Thursday 26th July 2018. These are the first apartments in Acton Gardens for private rent to be delivered as part of a strategy to increase housing supply and the quality of homes for rent across the London Borough of Ealing.
The new apartments sit on the corner of Bollo Lane and Bollo Bridge Road, South Acton and are providing residents with high quality homes offering choice, security, affordability and flexibility – including L&Q’s ability to offer longer tenancies for those that require them.
It is expected that these homes will be of particular interest to families and young working professionals, especially those unable to access sub-market housing or buy on the open market.
Private renting is becoming increasingly popular in London and more widely in the UK and forms a crucial part of the solution to help tackle the housing crisis. Both L&Q and Countryside are committed to meeting the gap in the market for quality, middle market rented homes.
These new homes have been built as part of Phase 5 of the regeneration of the former South Acton estate. This phase consists of 129 genuinely affordable homes for rent and sale, 72 PRS homes, and 70 homes for sale at market prices.
1,346 new homes have been built or are currently under construction in Acton Gardens to date, transforming the South Acton estate by replacing old council owned properties which had reached the end of their life. New social and community facilities will also be provided centred around a 55,000 sq ft hub. The programme has 11 phases, starting in 2011 and due for completion by the end of 2028.
Acton Gardens has funded numerous local projects with residents through the Community Chest, is winner of a Regeneration Award and a Project Award at the Housing Design Awards 2016, and in 2014 also won the Regeneration Project of the Year at the Evening Standard New Homes Awards.
Councillor Julian Bell, Leader of Ealing Council, opened the block saying:
“We are delighted with the completion of the latest phase of our regeneration of South Acton. As well as breathing new life into the area, this exciting development will also provide homes for affordable rent whilst increasing the rate of housing delivery, which will help our fight to tackle London’s housing crisis.
“The sale and private rental of some of the properties at Acton Gardens will help fund our plans to deliver 2,500 high quality, genuinely affordable homes for the borough over the next four years, creating a modern, sustainable community.”
David Stevenson, Head of Joint Ventures, Development and Regeneration (North) at L&Q, said:
“The new private rented apartments at Acton Gardens will provide a high quality and modern homes for a range of families and young professionals who are seeking choice, security of tenure, affordability and flexibility. These new homes are delivered as part of our long-term commitment to regenerating the South Acton estate and increasing the number of quality homes available for rent in the London Borough of Ealing”.
Mark Ludlow, Associate Director for Partnerships South, West London at Countryside, said:
“We’re extremely proud to have reached this significant milestone in the development of Acton Gardens. The completion of the first PRS block demonstrates the versatility of the regeneration scheme in catering to this vital and fast-growing sector of the housing market. Furthermore, with the potential to increase the numbers of PRS homes at Acton Gardens, we can continue to provide a varied mix of much-needed new homes at a faster rate.”