Wandsworth Council has pledged to oversee the construction of approximately 1,000 affordable homes over the next five years.

The news will come as welcome relief for many residents who have started to feel priced out of their home borough by the number of luxury developments which have already been built or given the green light.

The council's Affordable Housing Programme has been developed in response to the ever-increasing demand for all forms of housing including low cost rent housing, which is particularly needed to meet demand from low income working households living in the borough.

The council is planning to commit an initial £6m towards the creation of new homes as part of this new grant-giving scheme.

Under the programme, the council will look to secure agreements with development partners whereby, for the council grant available, the maximum number of affordable rent homes are delivered - with the council being given tenancy nominations and relets for those properties.

The programme would also enable more housing to be built under the authority’s Hidden Homes initiative, which sees formerly empty or derelict areas such as old laundries, store sheds, garages, or space on estates prone to crime or antisocial behaviour being used to provide new affordable homes.

Wandsworth’s housing spokesman, Councillor Paul Ellis, said: "Financially supporting low cost rent and home ownership development and encouraging development for private rent are just some of the ways that we are looking to increase the supply of properties for local people.

"As well as enabling more low cost affordable rent housing to be built we are also introducing measures to ensure working households are given greater priority when it comes to the allocation of homes."