Ealing Council has agreed to buy 110 new homes in Acton in a £49 million deal, which will be let to council tenants rather than sold on the open market.
The homes are being built on the former South Acton estate by developers L&Q and Vistry Group. Originally earmarked for private sale, they will now be rented to local families on Ealing’s waiting list for social housing, which has around 7,500 households.
Council leader Peter Mason described the deal as “a bold and necessary step” to deliver homes that local people can afford. He said the council’s swift intervention meant more than 100 families could be in new homes by Christmas next year. The properties – due for completion by autumn 2026 – will be let at council rent levels, typically less than a quarter of private market rates.
The development includes 44 one-bedroom, 61 two-bedroom and five three-bedroom homes, with several designed to be accessible for residents with mobility needs.
Nick Churcher, managing director for Vistry West London, said: “Partnering with Ealing Council on these latest phases at Acton Gardens reflects our shared commitment to delivering high-quality, sustainable homes that meet local needs.”
This is Ealing’s second major bulk purchase this year, following a June agreement to buy 180 homes in Southall for £51.36m. Both deals come amid a sharp decline in affordable housebuilding across London, where new starts by councils and housing associations have fallen by 91% between 2022 and 2024 as higher costs and interest rates hit viability.
Councillor Shital Manro, cabinet member for good growth and new homes, said the acquisition would help “directly tackle the borough’s growing housing crisis” and create “communities filled with pride, identity and purpose.”
Speaking to EALING.NEWS, Councillor Gary Malcolm, leader of Ealing Liberal Democrats, welcomed the move: “The Liberal Democrats have said for a long time that the Labour-run Ealing Council should be taking more ownership of housing especially for those where tenants are usually placed in B&Bs or hotels as they are bad tenants and the Council who pay a huge expense.”
He added: “Earlier this year I helped sign off on the Southall’s Green Quarter deal which will make more homes available. Liberal Democrats support these types of initiatives and want the council to expand where it is good to do so.”
