Southwark Council and the Liberal Democrats have clashed after local Lib Dem leader Victor Chamberlain claimed Labour’s affordable housing commitments were “hot air”.
Cllr Chamberlain made the comment after the publication of a report by the London Assembly which presents a mixed picture of Southwark’s house-building projects.
On the one hand, the report found that Southwark had begun building 2,090 affordable homes in 2021 – the most of any London borough.
But other parts made less happy reading. One statistic showed Southwark had completed just 144 affordable homes in the last year.
Cllr Chamberlain said: “These figures are abysmal and speak for themselves. They demonstrate that Labour Council bosses’ commitments to building affordable homes are just hot air.
“Although the increase in affordable housing starts is encouraging, it means nothing until we start seeing a meaningful reduction to the 16,000 residents on the housing waiting list and bring empty homes back into use.”
But Southwark Council hit back, with a spokesperson telling the News that Southwark’s affordable housing delivery was “stand out” among London boroughs, and was better than that in Lib Dem boroughs.
They pointed out that the 2,090 affordable homes it began in 2021 were more than every Lib Dem borough in London – 84 combined across three local authorities.
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Southwark also started 6,225 affordable homes from 2016/17 to 2021/22 – the fourth highest in London.
Cllr Darren Merrill, Cabinet Member for Council Homes and Homelessness, said: “The Greater London Authority report shows the extent of the huge work we are doing in Southwark, to deliver affordable housing for our residents. Southwark is a stand out in London.
“As a direct result of our work, and commitments to delivering council and social homes, thousands of families will have a new affordable place to call home. We are delivering in bricks and mortar.”
However, the figures do not account for the loss of housing through demolitions of major estates like the Heygate and Aylesbury.
According to a 2021 report published by Green Party politician Sian Berry, Southwark had already lost a net of 860 council homes, and stood to lose up to 2,577 in total once schemes with planning permission were completed.
Southwark Council is already one of the UK’s biggest social landlords and aims to build or purchase 11,000 new council homes by 2043.
