Rihab Salah, who is one of the first tenants to move into the development near Clerkenwell, pictured at her new home with Cllr Una O’Halloran

IT has taken almost three years, but the first residents have now finally been handed the keys to new flats on an estate near Clerkenwell.

The 66 brand-new social homes on the Golden Lane estate had stood empty since 2024, after an ongoing dispute between the contractor and the City of London, who was responsible for the project.

Islington Council had contributed £7million to building the homes, and each of the authorities has the nomination rights for 30 flats to house residents.

In a letter to the Tribune last July, housing chief Cllr John Woolf, described the saga as “grotesque, bizarre, and unprecedented” and said the homes had become a “case study in how not to deliver for local people”.

New homes on the Golden Lane estate

Indeed, when the Tribune asked the City of London for a timeline last summer, they assured residents that moving-in day would be sometime in September 2025.

The City of London would not answer the Tribune’s questions about the cause of delays, what lessons had been learnt, or whether they would like to apologise to residents.

Instead, the City’s community services committee chair, Helen Fentimen, said in a statement via a press release: “Black Raven Court reflects our commitment to delivering genuinely affordable, high-quality homes for Londoners.

“These modern, spacious homes for social rent will provide stability, security and opportunity for nearly 200 residents, with access to green space and excellent local amenities.

“By working with our partners, we have created a development we can be proud of – one that not only meets housing need but strengthens the wider community and shows what long-term investment in social housing can achieve.”