Brick by Brick submits proposals for 374 homes on 24 sites

Brick by Brick, Croydon council’s affordable homes development arm has submitted 374 homes for planning.

The homes will be built on 24 sites in Croydon and are the first to be submitted as part of Brick by Brick’s second small sites development programme.

A further six schemes comprising around 310 homes will be submitted “in the near future”, bringing the total number of homes to be delivered through this wave of development to nearly 700.

The homes have been designed by 12 architects including Sarah Wigglesworth, Denizen Works, Gort Scott, Stitch by Mary Duggan, Pitman Tozer, Archio, Ruff Architects, Hayhurst & Co, Threefold and Mae.

The list is completed by Common Ground Architecture, Brick By Brick’s own in-house architecture practice, which has designed six of the projects, comprising 181 homes.

Brick by Brick chief executive Colm Lacey said the 12 up-and-coming and established practices had been selected for their ability “to deliver high-quality, sustainable homes on small and sometimes challenging sites, with designs that are both innovative and sympathetic to their context”. He said public consultation had involved 29 physical exhibitions, as well as a digital engagement programme which had attracted more than 4,400 comments.

The organisation predicts it will be building 500 homes a year by next year. They will be a mixture of homes for private sale, shared ownership and “affordable” rent, with this batch concentrating on rental properties.

It comes after Brick By Brick this month secured planning for the Fairfield Homes development and after it completed its first schemes on multiple sites as part of its first small sites programme.

Croydon council is one of the local authorities that is using video conferencing tools to hold virtual planning committees. A patchwork of different approaches is being taken by local authorities around the country, with some, such as Manchester, using delegated powers.