Council homes could be built at three more sites as part of Haringey’s housebuilding plan – which has been “significantly delayed” due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Councillors agreed to add sites in West Green, Highgate and Woodside to the housing delivery programme at a cabinet meeting on Tuesday (January 19)

The council will carry out feasibility studies and engage with the local communities before deciding whether to build homes on the land.

The sites are:

  • 505 Archway Road, Highgate
  • Norman Close, Woodside
  • 251 Lordship Lane, West Green

Cabinet member for housing and estate renewal Cllr Emine Ibrahim (Labour, Noel Park) said: “We have started a new era in council home building in Haringey, with the delivery of high-quality council homes re-established as an integral part of the council’s core business.”

Haringey Council set a target of delivering 1,000 council homes at council rents by 2022.

While construction is underway on 343 council homes, a report reveals the coronavirus pandemic has “significantly delayed” the building programme. Work was suspended completely at the start of the first lockdown and is now taking place at a reduced capacity due to social distancing requirements.

The report also warns Brexit will cause labour shortages in the construction sector – and two of the council’s sites are already reporting that visa issues are stopping their workers returning from European countries.

Work on all 1,000 homes is expected to have begun by March 2022. But in response to a question by Cllr Julia Ogiehor (Lib Dem, Muswell Hill), assistant director for housing Robbie Erbmann said only 220 of the homes are likely to be finished by that date.

The full quota of 1,000 new council homes is not expected to be built until May or June 2024, Mr Erbmann revealed.

Haringey Council expects to deliver 3,088 council homes by 2030, according to the report.

At the end of the debate, the update on the council’s housing delivery programme was unanimously approved by cabinet members.