Southwark Council resolve to approve 3,500 home redevelopment

The developer, Notting Hill Housing Trust, has submitted two planning applications, a full planning application to cover the "first development site" and an outline planning application to cover the remainder of the site. The Council has recently approved both planning applications.

The first development site is based on 4.4 hectares of land and includes the demolition of eight residential blocks on the estate. These will be replaced with six new blocks ranging from two – 20 storeys high. These new blocks will provide 830 new homes with 50% being affordable homes, 50 extra care units and seven units specifically designed for adults with learning disabilities.

The proposal also includes public and private space, community space, a network of new streets and associated car and cycle parking.

The outline planning application is for the remainder of the site which covers 22 hectares of land and the developer has proposed to complete this in four phases. The scheme proposes demolition of the existing buildings and to replace them with a number of blocks ranging from two - 20 storeys high with capacity for up to 2,745 residential units. This plan also proposes 50 per cent of the units being allocated to affordable housing.

In addition to the residential units the scheme also includes, 2,500 square metres of employment space, 500 sq m for retail use, 3,100 to 4,750sqm of community space, 3,000 sq m of flexible retail or workspace use, a medical centre, an education facility for young children, parks, car and cycle parking.

The Council's planning officers were "satisfied" that the proposals would "deliver a mixed and balanced community that provided for individuals and groups over the short, medium and long term". 

Southwark Council’s cabinet member for regeneration, Mark Williams, welcomed the proposal and said that "the current blocks are reaching the end of their life span and refurbishment would cost hundreds of millions of pounds, with leaseholders in particular facing major work charges that would be at least six figures."

Planning expert Victoria Lindsay of Pinsent Masons, the law firm behind Out-Law.com, said

"This redevelopment has been long awaited for the Aylesbury Estate following the introduction of the Aylesbury Area Action Plan which began its preparation in 2007 and several rounds of public consultation. Two early phases of redevelopment have already been carried out by L&Q Housing and this next step represents a major milestone in the regeneration of the Aylesbury Estate and the delivery of a comprehensive mixed use scheme."