Council Buys Up 180 Flats in the Green Quarter
Will be let out in a combination of social rent and London Living Rent
The Green Quarter in Southall. Picture: Berkeley Homes
June 19, 2025
Ealing Council has purchased 180 flats within Berkeley Homes’ Green Quarter development in Southall to let out to its tenants. The move is a response to the sharp slowdown in new housing starts particular those available for council tenancies.
The units, which are expected to be available in autumn of next year will be split between 96 provided at London Living Rent and 84 at social rent. On average, council rents are less than a quarter of their private rental equivalents.
The borough is one of the least affordable places to live in the country and in recent years the council has experienced an unprecedented volume of requests for emergency help with housing from residents. On average, each month, it is temporarily housing around 3,000 families, at huge cost, and there are almost 8,000 households on the waiting list for a long-term council home.
The council has decided to bulk purchase housing to try and improve the situation following an industry-wide slowdown in council housebuilding caused by hikes in the cost of labour, materials and interest rates. London-wide, the number of new council homes being built dropped from 2,070 starts in 2022-23 to just 13 in 2023-24.
The council has not announced how much the purchase has cost but says a combination of funding sources has been used, including a grant from the Greater London Authority’s Affordable Homes Programme 2021-2026 and borrowing.
The council is considering a number of other bulk purchase deals, for housing which would be let as either temporary accommodation or secure council tenancies for local people.
Ealing Council leader, Peter Mason, said, “This is a bold and necessary step to ensure that local people have access to homes they can truly afford. Now, almost 200 local families will be able to start new lives in safe, modern homes by the end of next year. We’re proud to be leading the way in tackling the housing crisis head-on.”
Councillor Shital Manro, the council’s cabinet member for good growth and new homes, said: “This deal shows what’s possible when Ealing Council acts decisively on one of its key priorities and respond quickly to changing market conditions. It’s a fantastic outcome for some of the borough’s most vulnerable residents and goes a small way to addressing the housing crisis we are facing in the borough.”
Marcus Blake, the managing director of Berkeley St George said, “Berkeley Homes is committed to working with Ealing Council to help meet the housing needs of the borough. When completed, The Green Quarter will deliver some 2,600 affordable homes as well as over £170m in financial and non-financial contributions for the benefit of Southall and the wider area including new parks, town centre improvements, community facilities, health centre, sports hall, over £20m in education contributions as well as a new primary school within the development’’
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