Berkeley Homes has applied to Southwark council to cut the proportion of affordable houses being built in the planned Aylesham development, from 35% to less than 15%.
This comes after the developer apparently attempted to do the same thing in Camden with their Camden Goods Yard Development project.
Credit: Berkeley Homes
The current London-wide target is for 35% of new properties to be affordable, that is, available for people on lower incomes.
The Mayor, Sir Sadiq Khan is reported to be considering lowering the target to 20%.
Aylesham Community Action is fighting Berkeley’s proposed reduction to affordable housing and has raised over £43k to pay for lawyers to block the changes.
The group has described the fight as David Vs Goliath, in a post on their crowdfunding page.
The MP for Peckham, Miatta Fahnbulleh, said:
this is the human cost of the housing crisis, children robbed of childhood.” She has told Berkeley to listen to local people, or they “will find this community united in opposition – and me by their side.”
Credit: Aylesham Community Action
The appeal against Berkeley will start at Southwark Council on the 28 October and run to 7 November.
Responding to Berkeley’s request to Southwark Council, Cllr Helen Dennis, Cabinet Member for New Homes and Sustainable Development, said:
“There is a huge need for more genuinely affordable homes in Southwark, and it’s very disappointing that Berkeley Homes has lowered its offer of affordable housing on the Aylesham Centre site.
Peckham is one of many areas in our borough with a severe need for genuinely affordable homes. There are more than 4,000 households in Peckham and the nearby area on the waiting list for social housing.”
When we asked Berkeley for a comment, a spokesperson said,
“People have been arguing about this site since its allocation for housing in 2014. [The Project] will boost the local economy, with the new homes estimated to generate over £13 million annually…Nearly a thousand construction and permanent jobs will be created, as well as 60 apprenticeships.
It is incontestable that Berkeley have consulted far and wide since May 2021, having held six rounds of public consultation and over 300 meetings with all stakeholders.
However, delays cost money. Worsening market conditions and rising costs forced us to amend our plans – reducing the affordable housing – so that the project can finally go ahead.”
Berkeley may have a point—building has been slowing in the capital—in 2024/25 it was the English region which started building the fewest number of new homes.
And in Southwark and Camden only 150 new homes have been started this year.
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Standfirst
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HeadlineProperty Fat Cats Slash Affordable Housing Targets on Both Sides of the River
Short HeadlineProperty Fat Cats Drop Affordable Housing Goals
StandfirstBerkeley Homes has reduced the amount of affordable housing from 35% to less than 15% in Camden and Southwark developments.
Berkeley Homes has applied to Southwark council to cut the proportion of affordable houses being built in the planned Aylesham development, from 35% to less than 15%.
This comes after the developer apparently attempted to do the same thing in Camden with their Camden Goods Yard Development project.
Credit: Berkeley Homes
The current London-wide target is for 35% of new properties to be affordable, that is, available for people on lower incomes.
The Mayor, Sir Sadiq Khan is reported to be considering lowering the target to 20%.
Aylesham Community Action is fighting Berkeley’s proposed reduction to affordable housing and has raised over £43k to pay for lawyers to block the changes.
The group has described the fight as David Vs Goliath, in a post on their crowdfunding page.
The MP for Peckham, Miatta Fahnbulleh, said:
this is the human cost of the housing crisis, children robbed of childhood.” She has told Berkeley to listen to local people, or they “will find this community united in opposition – and me by their side.”
Credit: Aylesham Community Action
The appeal against Berkeley will start at Southwark Council on the 28 October and run to 7 November.
Responding to Berkeley’s request to Southwark Council, Cllr Helen Dennis, Cabinet Member for New Homes and Sustainable Development, said:
“There is a huge need for more genuinely affordable homes in Southwark, and it’s very disappointing that Berkeley Homes has lowered its offer of affordable housing on the Aylesham Centre site.
Peckham is one of many areas in our borough with a severe need for genuinely affordable homes. There are more than 4,000 households in Peckham and the nearby area on the waiting list for social housing.”
When we asked Berkeley for a comment, a spokesperson said,
“People have been arguing about this site since its allocation for housing in 2014. [The Project] will boost the local economy, with the new homes estimated to generate over £13 million annually…Nearly a thousand construction and permanent jobs will be created, as well as 60 apprenticeships.
It is incontestable that Berkeley have consulted far and wide since May 2021, having held six rounds of public consultation and over 300 meetings with all stakeholders.
However, delays cost money. Worsening market conditions and rising costs forced us to amend our plans – reducing the affordable housing – so that the project can finally go ahead.”
Berkeley may have a point—building has been slowing in the capital—in 2024/25 it was the English region which started building the fewest number of new homes.
And in Southwark and Camden only 150 new homes have been started this year.
