London needs many more genuinely affordable homes, but the numbers only tell part of the story. At Wingspan Walk in Tottenham Hale, 272 new council homes have transformed a former refuse depot into a new residential neighbourhood beside Down Lane Park.
As part of The London Society’s What Good Looks Like housing programme, this study visit will look closely at how the scheme has been planned, designed and delivered, and what other London boroughs might learn from it.
Designed by Levitt Bernstein for Haringey Council, Wingspan Walk provides 272 homes for council rent, including larger family homes and housing designed for older residents. The development is arranged around three courtyard buildings, with new pedestrian routes connecting the neighbourhood with Down Lane Park.
The homes have been designed to meet Passivhaus standards, reducing energy use and running costs, while the wider scheme combines new planting, public realm and sustainable drainage with a significant increase in housing on a previously industrial site.
Wingspan Walk also forms part of Haringey Council’s wider council housebuilding programme. Earlier this year, the borough marked the completion of its 1,000th new council home in a generation, with Wingspan Walk accounting for more than a quarter of that total.
Led by representatives from Haringey Council and the project team, including Cllr Tammy Hymas, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Housing, and Levitt Bernstein, the visit will explore how the development moved from an operational depot to a completed council housing scheme.
We will look at the design of the homes and shared spaces, the relationship with neighbouring Down Lane Park, the approach to energy efficiency and landscape, and the practical decisions involved in delivering council housing at this scale.
There will also be an opportunity to discuss what has been learned through the project and how those lessons could inform the next generation of council housing across London.
Seeing housing first-hand is an important part of understanding what good delivery looks like beyond policies, targets and architectural drawings.
Join The London Society in Tottenham Hale to explore Wingspan Walk and take part in the conversation about the quality, affordability and neighbourhoods London should expect from its next generation of council housing.