Mayor of London celebrates ‘new era of council housing’ with visit to Southwark

2 June 2021

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, visited William Cuffay House in Walworth, Southwark, to celebrate new figures which show that City Hall investment kept councils building at near-record levels during the pandemic.

The Mayor of London and Deputy Mayor of London for Housing and Residential Development, Tom Copley, met with Southwark Council’s Cabinet Member for Council Homes and Homelessness, Councillor Stephanie Cryan, and Labour Councillor for Newington Ward, Councillor James Coldwell, outside the building on Tuesday 1 June 2021.

The Mayor also met several residents of William Cuffay House who had moved into the brand new council block earlier in 2021.

William Cuffay House is just one of many council house developments which Southwark Council are working on across the borough to provide much-needed new homes for local residents.

The council has committed to building 11,000 new council homes by 2043, with 2,500 of these started on site or delivered by 2022.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “I’m delighted to be here in Southwark, a borough that has truly embraced council homebuilding with ambitious targets to start 11,000 homes over the next 20 years. Building genuinely affordable housing is one of my top priorities and I’m proud that we stand at the beginning of a council homebuilding renaissance in London.

“When I was elected five years ago I was determined to do everything I could to help reverse many years of declining council home building. Now, thanks to the hard work being carried out by councils like Southwark, we’re once again seeing these vital homes return to every corner of the capital.”

Councillor Stephanie Cryan, Southwark’s Cabinet Member for Council Homes and Homelessness, said, “I’m delighted to welcome the Mayor of London to one of our new council blocks which opened its doors to residents earlier this year.

“This fantastic new building is a dedicated council block providing 17 new council homes, and is just one example of the action we’re taking across the borough to tackle the housing crisis locally.

“Our commitment to building 11,000 council homes by 2043 will help to tackle the acute shortage of affordable housing in the borough, providing the safe, secure, high-quality homes that our residents need and deserve.”

William Cuffay House is a seven-storey development of 17 spacious flats, including two duplexes, all of which are available at council rent levels to local people in housing need.

Overlooking the greenery of Pelier Park and offering panoramic views of the London skyline, the block is ideally situated to boost resident’s well-being.

The development is named after William Cuffay, the son of a former slave who was a leading figure in the Kennington Chartist movement in the 1800s. The Chartist movement was the first mass popular political movement in British history and campaigned for workers’ rights and universal suffrage.

Page last updated: 02 June 2021