New Social Rent family housing for Old Kent Road

This week, Southwark Council’s planning committee approved a 100% social rent housing scheme that will deliver 26 new, family-size, social rent homes on Verney Road. It also approved new student accommodation and commercial space on Ossory Road.

Credon House

The council has approved the redevelopment of Credon House, Verney Road, to deliver 26 new homes, all of which will be for social rent.

24 of these new homes will be four bedroom apartments, the other two will be two bedroom.

Situated in a prominent corner location, the 14‑storey building includes private balconies, and a rooftop garden, with ground‑floor play space for children.

These new homes, which directly address the borough’s significant need for large, affordable properties for families, have been entirely funded by the developer. They will be handed over to the council at nil cost, helping the council to continue delivering council housing for the local community.

Ossory Road

At 2–10 and 14–22 Ossory Road, councillors approved a linked proposal to regenerate two derelict sites with a 465-room student housing scheme alongside almost 2,5oo sqm of modern, light‑industrial and commercial workspace.

The scheme comprises a 13‑storey building at 2–10 Ossory Road and a 12‑storey building at 14–22 Ossory Road, creating a new, mixed‑use area that reflects the council’s ambition to ensure that light industry and business space can continue to coexist alongside the 9,500 new homes being built in the area.

Delivering housing and jobs

These projects reflect the council’s strategy for regenerating Old Kent Road; delivering much-needed new homes while retaining the area’s light industry and business space.

The commercial spaces at Ossory Road will provide opportunities for small enterprises – supporting local jobs and economic activity – while the new homes at Credon House will help to ensure that local residents continue to benefit, directly, from growth in the area.

Both schemes have undergone extensive community engagement and design review to ensure that they contribute positively to the neighbourhood and support the Old Kent Road Area Action Plan’s objectives for sustainable, inclusive development.

Since 2018, permission has been granted to build 9,500 new homes in the Old Kent Road area.

More than 3,300 of these new homes have already been built (or are under construction). Over half of the new homes consented are affordable housing and more than 1,000 are homes for social rent.

The two schemes were approved at Planning Committee this week (3 March) and a recording of the meeting is available on the council’s YouTube channel.