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Camden Council submits plans to replace homes that will be demolished for HS2


Camden Council has submitted a planning application for a residential scheme in the Regent's Park estate to replace the homes that are planned to be demolished for the High Speed 2 railway (HS2). Funding for this replacement scheme was secured in March 2015 from HS2 Ltd.

The Regent's Park estate is located directly between Regent's Park and Euston station. If construction of HS2 goes ahead as currently planned, demolition of the Regent's Park homes will commence at the beginning of 2018. Any replacement homes will need to be completed in advance of demolition so residents can be relocated immediately.

It is expected that over 200 homes on the Regent's Park estate will be demolished to make way for HS2. Some of these homes are privately rented but many are privately owned or occupied by council tenants. The Council has made a commitment to provide new homes for residents in social rented or privately owned units. The Council plans to build more homes than are required, so that if completion of a site is delayed there should be homes available on an alternative site. Of the 200 units, a total of 164 new homes are required.

HS2 Ltd has already agreed to fund the building of 70 replacement flats. These were allocated at the Netley development that was recently completed. As a result, a further 94 homes are needed for residents requiring relocation. This will be provided by the recent planning application submitted to the Council. The plans include 116 new homes spread across eight different sites; 71 units will be allocated to social rented tenants and 27 to private owners. In addition to these, there will also be some affordable homes. The scheme also includes a replacement tenants and residential association hall, pub, communal gardens and open spaces and two new commercial units.

The proposal is located within 10 minutes walking distance of the current estate.

Councillor Phil Jones said, "This application marks a major step towards ensuring people who are due to lose their homes to HS2 get new flats in the area they know and love. These new homes will be paid for by HS2 Ltd and the sites selected have involved extensive community consultation on Regent's Park estate."

Planning expert Jennifer Holgate of Pinsent Masons, the law firm behind Out-Law.com, said "Advanced planning of both replacement homes and infrastructure will be of key importance in order to ensure the smooth and timely delivery of the HS2 scheme. Camden's approach to provide additional delivery of dwellings and further community infrastructure paves the way for the important and necessary step of replacing old housing stock with that of high quality design. A key achievement of the HS2 scheme should be to enhance, and not simply replace or repair, affected areas surrounding the route."

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