Mosaic tiles

A new development just over the road from me - Chester Balmore - is almost complete now. It's a mix of 'affordable' rented, private and some shared ownership 'apartments' (they don't seem to be called flats any more - far too prosaic.)
It's included refurbishment of a previously rather seedy cut through that ran between Chester Rd and Balmore St. That was closed during the building work but it's recently re-opened; newly paved with 25 of these mosaic tiles set at one side along its length. Apparently the tiles were made by local people at a ceramics workshop in the nearby community centre.

So there are some nice local touches and the building itself is quite striking but a studio flat will set you back £300k+ and a 2-bed the best part of £ 600k! And what of the 'affordable' rents? I haven't been able to find out how much this will be but current thinking is that an affordable rent is 80% of current market rent in the area. A tiny so-called studio flat in nearby Kentish Town with a platform bed just 2 feet from the ceiling was recently advertised for £780pm...
The housing situation in London is really getting desperate these days.