TV presenter and architect George Clarke joins Mayor for visit to new social housing development
- Mayor joined by TV presenter and architect George Clarke and Haringey Council leader Cllr Peray Ahmet on visit to new social housing development, marking Council’s major milestone of completing 1,000 new council homes in the borough
- £43.5m in City Hall funding has supported delivery of 272 new council homes at Wingspan Walk in Tottenham Hale which are available at social rent and provide the security to help families put down roots in the local community
- Sadiq and George both grew up in council housing and share their memories with each other in video available now on Instagram
- New development is one of the great successes of the Mayor’s Affordable Homes Programme and Sadiq is encouraging housing providers to bid for a record investment to deliver more social and affordable housing across London
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan was joined by renowned architect, TV presenter and housing campaigner George Clarke and Haringey Council leader Cllr Peray Ahmet on a visit to one of the capital’s largest social housing developments which received £43.5m in City Hall funding.
Sadiq and George, who both grew up in council housing, visited Haringey Council’s Wingspan Walk development [1] where they met a resident and shared their memories of growing up on housing estates. They also talked about the importance of good quality social housing for a video which is available to watch now on Instagram. [2]
The visit with Haringey Council marked the major milestone of completing 1,000 new, high-quality and green council homes in the borough – one of the biggest council house building programmes in the capital in a generation.
Wingspan Walk consists of 272 new energy-efficient homes available at social rent, helping to keep running costs low and support families most in need. It is situated close to Tottenham Hale train station on previously disused land. Residents also have access to nearby Down Lane Park, two communal courtyards and cycle storage to encourage sustainable travel.
The development is one of the great successes of the Mayor’s Affordable Homes Programme, and this year, Sadiq is urging housing associations and councils to bid for a record government investment of £11.7 billion to deliver social and affordable housing across the capital. [3]
It builds on the progress the Mayor has already made to tackle London’s housing crisis, with more new council homes started under Sadiq in London than at any time since the 1970s and, prior to the pandemic, more new homes of all tenures completed in London than at any point since the 1930s. [4]
Since 2018, more than 25,000 council homes have been built – or are being built – with the help of City Hall funding. And, on average, Sadiq is delivering over 10,000 more new homes in the capital each year than the previous Mayor. On top of this, last year, the number of council homes completed by London boroughs through Greater London Authority (GLA) funded programmes was at its highest level since 2016-17.
The Mayor will always prioritise getting as many affordable homes built as possible and is working closely with Ministers to secure even more support to meet his ambition to build 40,000 new council homes by the end of this decade.
In partnership with Government, Sadiq is progressing a series of time-limited, emergency measures to unblock housebuilding, including new powers for City Hall to review and call-in housing schemes. He is also launching the new City Hall Developer Investment Fund which is backed by an initial £322 million investment to support large scale projects in London, new leadership at the Building Safety Regulator and backing new towns in our city as we continue to build a better, fairer London for everyone.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “I know first-hand how the security of a council home transforms families’ lives. Beyond our front door we had an incredible mix of friends and neighbours from all over the world. That’s why I want to thank Haringey Council Leader, Cllr Peray Ahmet, for her hard work and commitment towards reaching the brilliant milestone of completing 1,000 new council homes in Haringey.
“It was a real pleasure to meet George Clarke and to hear about his early experiences growing up on a council estate in Tyne and Wear. I am grateful for his fierce campaigning to champion the positive impact social housing has on people’s lives, and agree we must do all we can to boost affordable homes in London and across the UK.
“As Mayor, I am absolutely determined to tackle our urgent housing crisis and continue to do everything in my power to deliver more homes of all tenures, building on the progress we have already made, as we build a better, fairer, more prosperous city for everyone.”
Architect and TV presenter George Clarke, who is an ambassador for Shelter, said: “I strongly believe that everyone should have a decent roof over their heads and it’s morally right that housing is provided for those in need.
“I have been calling on governments and councils to build good quality, sustainable versions of the childhood council home I grew up in for a long time, so it was a pleasure to join Sadiq Khan in a visit to Wingspan Walk which has been made possible through City Hall funding.
“London has been my home for many decades, so I am pleased that Sadiq is showing strong leadership, and has pledged to build 40,000 new council homes by the end of the decade.”
Haringey Council Leader, Cllr Peray Ahmet, said: “I was thrilled to welcome the Mayor of London and George Clarke for such a historic milestone and to help us celebrate 1000 council homes being built in our borough.
“Everyone should have a safe, warm, comfortable and affordable home. We know there is a housing crisis across the capital and that is why we have placed such a strong emphasis on making sure we deliver for our residents.
“George and the Mayor are huge advocates for social housing and the way it can transform people’s lives. The funding from the Mayor’s Office is helping us to turn the tide and provide a more positive future.”
Notes to editors
[1] About Haringey Council's council housebuilding:
Located on Park View Road, about 5-10 minutes’ walk from Tottenham Hale station, the development has been backed by significant City Hall funding of £43.5 million.
The 272 new council homes consist of one-bed, two-bed, three-bed, and four-bed homes, with 28 of those homes custom-made and fully wheelchair accessible.
Ground floor homes have private gardens and all homes on the first floor and above have a private balcony. 100 per cent of the homes will be let to residents on the council’s housing register.
The development is named Wingspan Walk to acknowledge and celebrate migratory birds at nearby Lee Valley Regional Park.
Read more about the development: https://haringey.gov.uk/news/20260130/mayor-london-celebrates-1000-council-homes-milestone-haringey.
[2] Media materials:
High-res imagery from Sadiq and George’s visit is available on request.
A video of their conversation can be found on the Mayor of London’s Instagram page – Instagram.com/mayorofldn
[3] Mayor’s Affordable Homes Programme (AHP):
The Mayor has secured up to £11.7 billion in government investment to deliver the London Social and Affordable Homes Programme, which runs from this year to 2036.
The programme will support the delivery of thousands of new social and affordable homes across London, with the overall housing target for the programme to be confirmed after the initial bidding round in February 2026.
Funding is available to deliver projects that can start on site by March 2036 and complete by March 2039.
More information: https://www.london.gov.uk/programmes-strategies/housing-and-land/housing-and-land-funding-programmes/london-social-and-affordable-homes-programme-2026-36.
Sadiq has also welcomed the launch of phase two of the Government’s groundbreaking New Homes Accelerator Programme, which will unblock thousands of homes and boost housing delivery.
As part of this, the Mayor is establishing the ATLAS LDN and NHA LDN teams to work in partnership with government, Homes England, local authorities and the private sector to build capacity, accelerate housing delivery in the capital, unblocking stalled sites and bringing forward thousands of homes for Londoners.
[4] The Mayor’s housebuilding achievements in London since 2016:
- Under Sadiq – in 2024 – the highest number of affordable homes for social rent in a decade were completed.
- Since 2016, overall housebuilding completions in London have reached levels not seen since the 1930s – prior to the pandemic.
- Since 2018, more than 25,000 council homes have been built – or are being built – with the help of City Hall funding.
- Council homebuilding starts under the Mayor have hit the highest level than at any time since the 1970s. In 2023, it was more than double the rest of the country combined.
- City Hall analysis of official Government figures shows that more new homes have been delivered per year in London under Sadiq than any previous Mayor of London. An average of more than 36,000 homes per year have been delivered since he became Mayor in 2016. This is 10,000 more than his predecessor, who averaged 26,000 a year.
- In 2023, the Mayor exceeded the ambitious target set by the previous Government of starting 116,000 homes under his previous Affordable Homes Programme.
- There has been a rise of almost seventy per cent in affordable housing starts in the last year (2024-25) in London. The capital also saw the highest number of council homes completed since City Hall records began, with 3,690 new homes delivered.
- City Hall’s latest Housing in London Report 2025 shows that the number of council homes completed by London boroughs through GLA funded programmes is at its highest level since 2016-17.
- The same report shows there has also been an increase in affordable housing completions over the last year and more homes started for social rent across our city.
- Landlords in the capital also own more affordable homes now than at any point over the past 25 years, helping to boost much-needed housing availability for Londoners.