New council homes for Tottenham

New council homes could be built at three more sites – including one in Tottenham – as part of Haringey Council’s housebuilding plan.

Councillors in the Labour-run cabinet agreed to add a site in Lordship Lane to its housing delivery programme this week, as well as a site in Norman Close, Wood Green and a third site in Highgate.

The council will now carry out feasibility studies and engage with the local communities before deciding whether to build homes on the land. Cabinet member for housing and estate renewal, Emine Ibrahim, said: “We have started a new era in council home building in Haringey, with the delivery of high-quality council homes re-established as an integral part of the council’s core business.”

The council has set a target of delivering 1,000 council rent homes by 2022. While construction is underway on 343 council homes, a report revealed the coronavirus pandemic had “significantly delayed” the building programme. Work was suspended completely at the start of the first lockdown and is now taking place at a reduced capacity.

The report also warned that Brexit would cause labour shortages in the construction sector – and two of the council’s sites are already reporting that visa issues are stopping their workers returning from European countries.

Work on all 1,000 homes is expected to have begun by March 2022. But in response to a question by Lib Dem councillor Julia Ogiehor, assistant director for housing Robbie Erbmann said only 220 of the homes are likely to be finished by that date. The full quota of 1,000 new council homes is not expected to be built until May or June 2024, Ribbie said.

The report also stated that 3,088 council homes were expected to be built by 2030.