Committee Planning approval for St Matthews Court & Folkestone Road airspace projects

St Matthews Court and Folkestone Road airspace projects for Populo Living both received planning approval on 30th January 2024 at Newham Local Development Committee. The 100% affordable ‘airspace’ council housing planning permissions are featured in Architects’ Journal.

Rooftop homes built above existing residential buildings
26 new homes at London Affordable Rent
Retrofit energy efficiency improvements to the existing homes
Existing tenants offered first choice of the new homes
Innovative form of land supply with potential to deliver up to 300 new homes in Newham

Councillor Shaban Mohammed, Cabinet Member for Housing Management and Modernisation, said: “There’s a huge demand for affordable housing in Newham and we’re doing everything we can to meet it, including purchasing properties and building new ones. We are also thinking outside of the box to provide as many homes as possible for local people.

These developments will provide 26 new affordable rented homes, whilst modernising the existing homes, making them warmer, safer, and more energy efficient. We’ve consulted closely with residents on these plans and are also offering existing tenants first choice to move into the new homes, subject to agreed lettings criteria.

Both schemes include improvements to outside areas for residents to enjoy, along with added security measures and surveillance.”

We have created a design guide for Newham Council and Populo Living on good practice using the airspace model for housing delivery.