This month the UK’s largest temporary accommodation development providing 290 additional homes before Christmas will open.
The development in Acton is the latest step to address emergency housing in the capital. London needs 66,000 new homes a year to meet growing needs and many of the spaces to build on are complex brownfield sites. Added to this 14,400 households between April and June 2017 were considered homeless and 78,000 households in the same period in temporary accommodation, up 7% from the previous year.
Meath Court, Hope Gardens in Acton is a 60 apartment development created using offsite manufactured homes (OSM). The development includes communal space, onsite management office, laundry and refuse storage and will house young families and low-income individuals in need of immediate emergency accommodation.
The Acton development was constructed in 24 weeks by property company, QED and is made up of a kit of moveable and reusable parts of UK produced shipping containers, providing an immediate solution to the short-term accommodation need.
Ross Gilbert, Managing Director, of Property Company QED said, “We are committed to playing our part in addressing the housing crisis. We need short, medium and long term solutions and Meath Court is a short term solution to emergency accommodation.
“Throughout the planning and public consultation of the development we have ensured that Meath Court provides emergency accommodation that has its own kitchen, bathroom and front door which is safe and secure, all features that many emergency accommodation solutions don’t provide.
“Meath Court is made up of a kit of moveable and reusable parts of UK produced shipping containers, on a redundant urban site whilst more permanent developments are underway.”
Ealing Council has 2242 households residing in temporary accommodation and a steady decline in the availability of suitable options, particularly in-borough. Hope Gardens was previously an underused brownfield site in Ealing which has been identified for long term redevelopment post 2024.
Councillor Julian Bell, Leader of Ealing Council, said, “Ealing Council has been proactive about the situation and have had to find another source of housing as there has been an increase in residents asking for assistance. Working with QED allows the council to move residents in need into a new form of temporary accommodation until longer term options become available.
“As we all know, the housing crisis in the capital is increasingly becoming worse as stated in the recently published draft London Plan and the council is exploring all options to keep on top of the growing demand.”
Meath Court, Hope Gardens is the second joint venture between QED and Ealing Council following the successful opening of Marston Court in April 2017.
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