A parcel of land at The Lawns in Upper Norwood has become the first site to be made available for community-led housing bids, with an advance site visit on 8 May.
Suitable for around four homes and more than 1,000 sq metres in size, the site is near Crystal Palace shops and has far-reaching views of Croydon.
The application process will be through the GLA Small Sites Small Builders portal and will run for eight weeks from the end of May, after which a shortlist will be drawn up and bids will be assessed for viability, design and the council’s other community-led housing criteria. When the winning bid is chosen, the successful applicants will need to carry out detailed engagement with local residents before applying for planning permission.
Groups or individuals that submit business cases to Croydon Council can receive design and logistical support from Brick by Brick, the council-created developer that is finalising its first homes, with additional construction support available if their schemes receive planning permission. To learn more, a site visit is planned for 8 May. To book a ticket follow this Eventbrite link.
Councillor Alison Butler, Croydon Council’s deputy leader and cabinet member for homes and Gateway services, said: “This is a great chance for local people with great ideas and lots of energy to design, develop and manage their own affordable homes in the local community. The council will help local bidders to ensure they are high-quality and deliverable, and I’m looking forward to seeing the first applications come in.”
Colm Lacey, CEO of Brick by Brick, said: “Since being set up by the council in 2016, Brick by Brick has received consent for more than 1,000 homes so far on over 40 sites, almost half of which are designated affordable. Other council-backed housing initiatives include the creation of Croydon Affordable Housing, a charity set up to manage more than 500 newly-refurbished homes for Croydon families in housing need.”
To find out more about community-led housing, visit the council website. For more information, contact communityledhousing@croydon.gov.uk.
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