15.07.15
Lewisham’s ‘pop-up’ temporary housing solution due in March 2016
SIG Building Systems is to build the groundbreaking Ladywell ‘pop-up’ village by March 2016, Lewisham Council has confirmed.
Designed by Rogers Stirk Habour + Partners architects, the moveable development, estimated to cost about £4.3m, will provide homes for 24 families and space for community and business use.
The residential units will provide short-term accommodation to homeless households who would otherwise have been housed in poorer quality bed and breakfast type accommodation at a significant cost to the council.
Mayor of Lewisham Sir Steve Bullock said: “I am delighted to have SIG on board to turn this exciting project into reality. This project is breaking new ground in finding creative ways to address regeneration and housing challenges in a joined up way. I can’t wait to see the units on site.”
The pop-up village will be built on the site of the former Ladywell Leisure Centre, which was demolished in 2014 and has remained vacant pending development. Planning permission for the temporary development was granted on 23 April 2015, which will be valid for four years.
Earlier this year PSE interviewed Jeff Endean, manager of Lewisham Council’s Housing Matters programme, who told us that over the preceding18 months, Lewisham Council had a ten-fold increase in the number of families placed in temporary accommodation to nearly 600, costing nearly £3m.
“Most people won’t have a use for housing that moves, but we do because we’re always likely to have vacant sites – as we’re a large landholder,” said Endean.
“There is also always going to be some sort of regeneration work going on somewhere in the borough and we’re always going to have pressure on housing – well into the foreseeable future. This doesn’t look like it is going to get any better anytime soon.”
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