Ealing Council's Affordable Housing Push Faces Setbacks

Opposition dismisses chance of meeting target of 4,000 units

The council's plan to buy flats from a developer in Southall fell through. Picture: Fairview Homes

October 10, 2025

Ealing Council has defended its record on housing delivery after facing sharp criticism from opposition parties who claim it is falling behind on its target to deliver 4,000 affordable homes by 2026.

The council insists it has made “significant progress” despite the turbulent housing market and wider economic pressures that have slowed development across London. But opposition groups argue that the administration’s approach has failed to deliver at the scale or speed required to address growing need in the borough.

Ealing’s pledge to deliver 4,000 affordable homes by 2026 has been complicated by a sharp slowdown in housing starts since 2022. One key strategy — bulk-buying homes from developers to let at social rent — has yielded mixed results.

In a recent setback, a deal to purchase 108 flats in Southall Grove from Fairview Homes collapsed after the two sides failed to reach agreement on price. Fairview has since listed the homes for open-market sale at prices ranging from £320,000 to £575,000, well above the levels paid in previous council acquisitions.

By contrast, Ealing successfully concluded a £49.2 million deal with the Vistry Group and L&Q to acquire 110 affordable homes at Acton Gardens in South Acton. The new homes, expected to be handed over in autumn 2026, will be let at social rent and form part of a wider regeneration scheme transforming the former South Acton estate into a 3,463-home mixed-tenure neighbourhood — half of which will be classed as affordable.

Council leader Peter Mason described the Acton purchase as “bold and necessary,” saying it would allow “more than 100 families to start new lives in safe, modern homes where they can thrive.”

A deal was also completed with Berkeley Group for 180 flats in The Green Quarter development in Southall.

Ealing’s Liberal Democrats have accused the Labour-run council of “mismanaging development” and failing to deliver genuinely affordable homes. They say the administration’s approach has resulted in tall towers with limited community benefits, while essential infrastructure such as schools, parks and leisure facilities has lagged behind.

Councillor Jon Ball, the Liberal Democrat spokesperson on housing and development, said Labour “seem unable to respond in a meaningful way” to the borough’s housing challenges, adding that “residents suffer with a lack of quality housing and an abysmal repairs service.”

The party has also criticised the council for what it claims is a £90 million shortfall in Community Infrastructure Levy payments — money that could have been used for local improvements.

In response, a Labour spokesperson said the council had been “proactive” in delivering homes despite economic headwinds, including the fallout from the 2022 mini-budget which disrupted housing finance nationwide.

“We’re proud of the progress we’ve made delivering new homes in Ealing – particularly given the housing market crash following Liz Truss’s disastrous mini-budget, which made it harder for councils and developers alike to get homes built,” they said.

“We’ve been directly building new homes, securing affordable units through the planning system and purchasing homes from developers to let to council tenants. Recent schemes at Copley Close, Buckingham Avenue and our deal to acquire 180 homes currently under construction are examples of this.”

The spokesperson added that the Liberal Democrats “want to have their cake and eat it too,” criticising both the pace of delivery and the partnerships with developers that make such schemes possible.

Ealing’s housing struggles mirror a wider pattern across London, where boroughs face increasing pressure to meet housing need amid rising costs and slowing construction.

According to London Councils, more than 300,000 households are on waiting lists across the capital, while rising interest rates and tighter borrowing conditions have hit both public and private sector development. The Greater London Authority’s own figures show that affordable housing starts have fallen by nearly a third since 2022.

Other councils have adopted similar bulk-purchase strategies to Ealing’s — including Brent, Southwark and Newham — buying newly built flats directly from developers to house families on waiting lists. But with construction costs escalating and developers able to command higher prices on the open market, such deals have become increasingly difficult to secure.

Housing analysts say that unless more funding and flexibility are made available from central government, London boroughs will continue to struggle to meet affordable housing targets.

For residents in Ealing, where almost 7,500 families remain on the housing waiting list, the debate over delivery is likely to be central to next year’s local election campaign.