Southwark Council will take a wrecking ball to 373 Aylesbury Estate flats after approving the next stage in its redevelopment.
There are concerns that the new development will have just 163 social rent homes compared to the 327 currently on-site. There will also be 82 intermediate-rent homes, which 80 per cent of the market rate.
In total, the new development will deliver 614 new residential units, with 369 of those to be privately owned.
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Speaking at the meeting on Tuesday, January 17, a spokesperson from the campaign group Refurbish Don’t Demolish, said: “You’ve admitted that there’s a loss of social housing. I would suggest it would be much more cost-effective and fairer to residents on the Aylesbury… to refurbish and retrofit their homes for the climate emergency.
“If you make the decision to demolish, which I’m assuming you will, then you will have to live with that. But this is not solving the climate crisis or the housing crisis…”
The council decided to redevelop the Aylesbury Estate in 2005 after concluding that refurbishment would be too expensive.
This was despite 70 per cent of residents voting against the estate’s redevelopment in 2001.
Across the entire Aylesbury Estate, the New Southwark Plan envisages building 4,200 new homes with at least 2,249 social rent homes.
But given that a 2015 survey showed there were 2,402 social rent homes, objectors say the overall development delivers a net loss of social rent flats.
Southwark Council says it has adopted a phased approach to development because construction costs and funding can change over the years, meaning fixed overall budgets are inappropriate.
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The site is currently home to the Padbury, Ravenstone, Wendover and Winslow blocks. 60 homes in those blocks still have people living in them.
The council says it has given these residents a variety of options such as allowing them to move to new homes being built on the estate or council properties being built elsewhere in the borough.
There is concern that a 26-storey block is out of character with the area and will tower over neighbouring Burgess Park. Currently, all the blocks on the site are between six and fourteen storeys.
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Southwark Council had previously said the site should only accommodate blocks measuring a maximum of twenty storeys.
Catriona Sinclair, from local community group Friends of Burgess Park, said: “The landmark building is now 26 storeys high. If you walk along Albany Road this does not introduce you to a new redevelopment site.
“There’s actually a row of tall buildings now along Albany Road because the limits have gone up and up each time.”
The planning committee’s decision was unanimous.
Cllr James McAsh, cabinet member for The Climate Emergency and Sustainable Development said: “We are very pleased that NHG have got the go ahead for this next phase of new housing on the Aylesbury Estate, especially as it comes on the back of around 560 new council homes being built on the First Development Sites A and B.
“This application is part of a much wider redevelopment of one of the country’s largest council estates that will mean new and improved housing for local people including much needed family homes and homes for the over 50s, a mix of council rents, social rents, shared ownership for people who need help getting on the property ladder, and private sales to help fund the building of truly affordable homes.”
John Hughes, group director of development and deputy chief executive at Notting Hill Genesis said: “We welcome Southwark Council’s decision to approve planning permission for Phase 2B. Following extensive consultation with the community we feel satisfied that the plans provide much-needed new housing for the area, balancing the needs of existing residents while encouraging those from outside the area to become part of a well-established, thriving neighbourhood.
“While this is an important milestone, there are a number of further steps which must now be taken before we can start to deliver this project. These include receiving final approval from the Mayor of London and finalising our planning obligations (known as a section 106 agreement) with the council.”