Ealing Council's Cabinet has approved plans to acquire 95 affordable homes at Bollo Yard, South Acton, a decision hailed as “fantastic news” by Councillor Louise Brett, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Safe and Genuinely Affordable Homes.
The acquisition, approved during a Cabinet meeting on Thursday, July 9, 2026, will provide much-needed social rented homes for families in the borough. The project will be funded through a combination of Greater London Authority (GLA) grant, Right to Buy receipts, and borrowing, with a capital budget of up to £30.280 million allocated for the purchase of Block J/K at Bollo Yard.
Councillor Brett stated, “This is fantastic news. These will come online next year, and 95 families will be able to move into genuinely affordable social rented homes in a really good area, good location, with lots of transport links.”
The 95 homes at Bollo Yard are designated for Social Rent (SR) and will be allocated to applicants from the council's housing register. The housing register currently has approximately 5,932 live applications, with the majority of these being for 2- and 3-bedroom homes. The Bollo Yard development itself will comprise 27 one-bedroom homes, 60 two-bedroom homes, and 8 three-bedroom homes. Specifically, this breaks down into 27 one-bedroom (2-person) homes, 19 two-bedroom (3-person) homes, 41 two-bedroom (4-person) homes, 7 three-bedroom (5-person) homes, and 1 three-bedroom (6-person) home.
During the meeting, Councillor Gallant raised concerns regarding safeguards if the developer fails to complete the building. In the event of developer default or a termination event, the Facility Agreement between the Funder and the Developer, along with the Direct Agreement between the Funder and the council, requires the Funder to either 'buy back' the council's interests at 100% of the council's costs to date (which would then be used to repay GLA grant) or 'step in' to ensure completion of the development under the same terms as the council has with the Developer. This structure makes GLA grant repayment unlikely in such scenarios.
Councillor Welsby inquired about how future acquisitions would reflect social housing needs, noting the proposed mix of one, two, and three-bedroom homes.
Despite these questions, the Cabinet voted to proceed with the purchase and enter into the necessary development and sale agreements. The homes are expected to be completed by Q1/Q2 2028/29. Practical completion is forecast for this period, with the financial appraisal not expecting homes to be allocated and let within a month of practical completion. Instead, lettings and allocations are anticipated to be spread over a nine-month period. Council tax voids are covered for a maximum of nine months from April 2028.
Further details on the meeting can be found in the Public reports pack here and the Printed minutes here.
