Plans for an exciting housing-led regeneration project in Ham, South-West London, by leading housebuilder The Hill Group and London housing provider Richmond Housing Partnership (RHP) have been approved.
Richmond Council’s planning committee approved the proposals for Ham Close, which include 452 new homes, new community facilities, and a range of public green spaces. The final approval is expected in the new year once the GLA has assessed it.
The redevelopment of Ham Close is a landmark project for the area and will replace several outdated blocks of flats built in the 1960s with a range of high-quality new homes. All current tenants of the existing affordable homes will be moving directly into their new homes, except for a small number of tenants who’ve been provided alternative housing whilst the development happens before having the opportunity to return to their new homes. There will also be a range of additional affordable and private sale homes, all carefully designed to high energy efficiency standards. Approximately 49 per cent of the homes will be affordable, for rent, London Living Rent and Shared Ownership, and 10% will be wheelchair accessible. The new neighbourhood will include a community centre, a new building for the community workshop Richmond MakerLabs, and a park with play spaces.
This outcome is the result of several years of work between Richmond Council and RHP, the largest provider of affordable housing in the borough, to secure the regeneration of the estate. Working closely with the local community, the focus has been on creating a sustainable new development that meets current and future local housing needs. The raft of benefits generated by the regeneration of Ham Close also includes a £2m social impact fund, opportunities for apprenticeships and construction jobs for residents, and a 23 per cent net biodiversity gain for the site.
Andy Hill, group chief executive at The Hill Group, said: “We are delighted to receive planning consent for the landmark regeneration project at Ham Close, and we are looking forward to gaining final approval from the GLA in due course. We will be working with our partner RHP to finalise matters and move forward immediately to the construction stage. The vision for Ham Close is to create a vibrant and inclusive community for existing and future residents that incorporates sustainable, high-quality homes together with a range of new community facilities and impressive green spaces. We are looking forward to making that vision a reality.”
David Done, chief executive of RHP, said: “It is fantastic news that the council has approved our plans to transform Ham Close. The regeneration will create a better place for our customers and other people that will come to live there in the future. Our customers will massively benefit from moving into fully-modern new homes alongside state-of-the-art facilities, and the regeneration will bring so many additional advantages for the local community. I’m particularly proud that issues that matter most to our Ham Close residents and the wider community, including making sure the project is sustainable and creates job opportunities for local people, have been taken into account. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all of our partners who have worked with us and helping us reach this milestone.”
Councillor Jim Millard, the spokesperson for Housing, Richmond Council, adds: “I am delighted that this landmark regeneration project has been approved. We can now move forward toward providing the new, healthier and easier-to-heat homes we all want to see for the current residents of Ham Close, with the many additional social benefits, including the provision of many more additional genuinely affordable, sustainable homes, a fantastic new community centre, improved public realm, and connectivity.”
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