42 new homes in Cambridge Road Estate (CRE) will be occupied by Christmas according to Kingston Council.

The council-owned flats have been allocated to social tenants, with priority given to current CRE residents to allow further development of the site.

"Residents are enjoying [choosing] the colours of their kitchen units and carpets and things," said council officer Elaine Taylor at a committee meeting on Tuesday 19 March. 

"It's all very exciting."

The project is run by an LLP equally split between Kingston Council and developer Countryside (Photo: Oliver Monk)

The recently-announced 104 council homes, in part funded by the Greater London Authority, will instead be allocated through the conventional needs-based system once completed.

The estate's regeneration, along with its proposed 871 new council homes, is expected to be completed as early as 2034.

Meanwhile, recent council homes successes include the newly-completed Arun House in Kingston and York Way in Chessington, housing 37 families.

Flourish logo

CRE along with these smaller developments are part of the council's plan to help home almost 1,000 families currently in temporary accommodation across the borough.

However, there were roughly 3,700 households awaiting a permanent home as of 24 January 2024 according to Cllr Emily Davey, the council's portfolio holder for housing.

The new Cambridge Road Estate will include 2,170 homes, 871 of them council-owned (Photo: Oliver Monk)

With at least a decade before all new council homes are completed, it remains to be seen what Kingston Council can do for the borough's unhoused families in the short term.