Wandsworth Unveils 81 New Homes on Lennox Estate, Roehampton

Key Points

• Wandsworth Council has released new images and plans to build 81 new council homes on the Lennox Estate in Roehampton, South London, targeting families in need.​
• The development includes a 14-storey block with 56 homes and a six-storey block with 25 homes, arranged around a new games court replacing the existing one.​
• New homes will be provided at social rent levels, prioritising overcrowded residents on the estate, those looking to downsize, and people in priority need on the housing waiting list.​
• The council’s planning application details are available on its website, with designs responding to residents’ feedback ahead of a submission in autumn 2025.​
• Additional features include no net loss of open space, controlled parking with free permits for existing residents, improved walking and cycling routes, better lighting for safety, enhanced green spaces, and upgraded play facilities for children of different ages and needs.​
• Further improvements address flooding through landscaping, biodiversity enhancements, and making underused spaces greener and more playful.​
• Public engagement has occurred, including events in June and July 2023, February 2024, and November 2024 consultation boards showing adjusted building heights and new open spaces.​
• Documents available include presentation boards, summary reports of engagement events, FAQs, estate analysis, daylight/sunlight reports, ecological proposals, and transport assessments.​

INVERTED PYRAMID NEWS STORY

Wandsworth Council has unveiled the first images of ambitious plans to construct 81 new council homes on the Lennox Estate in Roehampton, South London, complete with a redesigned games court to serve local families in housing need. The proposals, now detailed on the council’s website, feature two apartment blocks—a 14-storey structure housing 56 homes and a six-storey block with 25 homes—surrounding a new communal games area that will replace the current one. Existing residents facing overcrowding or wishing to downsize, alongside those in priority need on the housing waiting list, will receive first refusal on these social rent properties.​

What Are the Main Features of the Proposed Development?

The development aims to regenerate the Lennox Estate without reducing open space, introducing a range of community-focused enhancements. As outlined on the official Wandsworth Council page for the Lennox Estate, SW15, the plans include controlled parking to deter non-residents, with free permits issued to current estate dwellers. Improvements to walking and cycling routes will better connect estate areas, while enhanced lighting will make paths and green spaces safer at night.​

Further details from the council’s design feasibility section highlight greening underused spaces to foster playfulness and biodiversity. Play facilities will cater to children of varying ages, backgrounds, and abilities, and landscaping interventions will manage flooding and puddling on roads and public areas. The site, located in the Roehampton ward, remains in pre-planning/design feasibility stage, with submission targeted for autumn 2025 following ongoing reviews and resident feedback testing.​

How Will Residents Benefit from These Changes?

Priority allocation ensures the new homes directly address local housing pressures. According to Wandsworth Council’s project description,

“New homes will be for council rent and existing residents of Lennox Estate in housing need or looking to downsize will be given priority for allocation of the new homes.”

This approach targets overcrowded households and those on the waiting list, offering secure social rent tenancies amid London’s affordability crisis.​

As reported in the council’s engagement materials, such as the Lennox Estate FAQs and estate analysis, the scheme responds to community input by preserving green areas and enhancing safety. Residents will receive updates on design evolutions, building on prior consultations that shaped the project.​

What Is the Timeline for Planning and Construction?

Wandsworth Council states on its dedicated Lennox Estate page:

“We’re currently undertaking further reviews and testing of design proposals before submission for planning permission in autumn 2025. Designs will aim to respond to residents’ feedback and residents will be sent a further update on this in due course.”

This follows a series of public events, including drop-in sessions and presentation boards from June 2023, July 2023, February 2024, and November 2024.​

The November 2024 consultation boards, accessible via Wandsworth Council’s media library, note adjustments to building heights and new open spaces based on input. Supporting documents like the summary report of the first engagement event in August 2023, transport assessments from August and September 2023, daylight and sunlight reports, and preliminary ecological proposals provide comprehensive backing for the application.​

Which Specific Documents Detail the Plans?

Key files listed by Wandsworth Council include:

• Presentation boards from 20 February 2024 and 13 June 2023.
• Summary report of engagement event 1 from August 2023.
• Drop-in event follow-up letter from 31 July 2023.
• Lennox Estate FAQs, estate analysis, daylight and sunlight report, preliminary ecological proposal, and transport addendum from September 2023.
• Follow-up letters from event one and event two.​

What Community Engagement Has Taken Place?

Public input has been central, with the council’s Homes for Wandsworth site at lennox-homesforwandsworth.co.uk inviting thoughts on the plans for new council rent homes, green spaces, and controlled parking to build healthy, safe communities. The summary report of the public engagement event emphasises the estate’s identification for new housing alongside improved open and play spaces.​

Earlier phases included events in 2023 and 2024, with feedback incorporated into revised designs, such as height adjustments noted in the November 2024 boards:

“New council homes are planned for Lennox Estate, with existing residents prioritized. Building heights were adjusted, and new open spaces are planned.”​

How Does This Fit into Broader London Housing Efforts?

While specific to Wandsworth, the Lennox Estate project aligns with wider initiatives, as referenced in the London Growth Plan quarterly report from June 2025, which mentions borough plans like Wandsworth’s forthcoming growth ambitions. The strategy underscores accelerating affordable homes delivery, with Wandsworth’s efforts contributing to regional targets amid government funding like the £39bn Affordable Homes Programme.​

No direct quotes from named journalists appear in council sources, but the MyLondon article coverage highlights the planning application’s public availability and social rent focus for Roehampton families. The council maintains neutrality in its updates, prioritising resident needs without political framing.​

What Challenges Might the Development Face?

Potential hurdles include planning approval, given the 14-storey block’s height in a residential area, though adjustments address prior concerns. Transport assessments and ecological proposals mitigate impacts, with no net open space loss mandated. Flood management via landscaping responds to local issues.​

Resident priorities ensure community buy-in, but final designs depend on autumn 2025 submission outcomes. The council’s commitment to updates via letters and events underscores transparency.