estate regeneration sourcebook - urban design … · estate regeneration sourcebook content: ......

ESTATE REGENERATION

sourcebook

2

Estate Regeneration SourcebookContent: Gavin McLaughlin© February 2015 Urban Design LondonAll rights [email protected] image: Colville Phase 2Karakusevic Carson Architects

As we all struggle to meet the scale and complexity of London’s housing challenges, it is heartening to seethe huge number of successful estate regeneration projects that are underway in the capital. FromKidbrooke toWoodberry Down, Clapham Park to Graeme Park, South Acton toWest Hendon, there areestates being transformed all across London.

All are complicated, but most are moving ahead with pace, delivering more homes of all tenures and types,to a better quality, and are offering improved accommodation, amenities and environments for existingresidents and newcomers alike.

The key to success in projects as complex as estate regeneration lies in the quality of the partnerships andproject teams that deliver them and, crucially, in the leadership offered by local boroughs.

That’s why I welcome this new resource from UDL as a useful tool to help those involved with suchprojects to see what’s happening elsewhere and to use the networks that London offers to exchange bestpractice. Learning from the successes – and mistakes – of others is usually the key to getting things right.

London is a fascinating laboratory of case studies and this new sourcebook is a welcome reference point forthose already working on estate regeneration projects or those who may be considering doing so in thefuture.

David LuntsExecutive Director of Housing and Land at the GLA

Preface

2

There is a really positive feeling around estate regeneration in London at the moment. Despite this being atime of austerity with very significant cuts in council spending, many local authorities are actively taking upthe combined challenges of delivering new housing, improving existing housing estates and delivering urbanregeneration...

The combined effects of the reforms to the Housing Revenue Account and very significant reductions incentral government grants towards housing seem to have spurred councils to consider alternative means todeliver regeneration. We are seeing a collective bout of creative thinking; suddenly old prejudices about‘what should be’ are melting away and new options and opportunities are being explored and embraced: forexample, several London councils are now actively looking to build full market rent property (unimaginableonly a few years ago).

Across London a very significant pipeline of new council housing is emerging. And instead of resistinggrowth and urban intensification, many councils appear to be embracing it as a means to resolve long-standing issues of urban decline and deprivation, reduce long-term costs and even improve council income.The building of new council housing has begun to be viewed as a real opportunity rather than aninsurmountable challenge.

We seem to have entered an exciting and rapidly changing new phase in the world of housing delivery,especially council-led delivery.

This book contains case studies of estate regeneration schemes from across London, each involving someform of best practice in terms of design, delivery, or both.All the selected projects have been assisted,usually initiated and in several cases even fully developed (including taking sales risks) by councilsthemselves. Each scheme is presented with facts, figures and a story of how it has progressed in the hopethat readers can take inspiration and draw on the examples for application elsewhere.

Julian Hart MRTPIUrban Design London

Introduction

Council-led estate regeneration and housing delivery – a new world 04

To partner or not to partner? 09

A leading example : the Hackney approach 12

Case studies

1.Andover Estate (Islington) 14

2.Aylesbury Estate (Southwark) 17

3. Bacton Estate (Camden) 21

4. Claredale Street (Tower Hamlets) 24

5. Colville Estate (Hackney) 27

6. Copley Close (Ealing) 30

7. DollisValley (Barnet) 33

8. Hallsville Quarter (Newham) 36

9. Highmead (Enfield) 39

10. Kings Crescent (Hackney) 42

11. Myatts Field North (Lambeth) 45

12. Peabody Avenue (Westminster) 48

13.ThamesView East (Barking & Dagenham) 51

14.Tybalds Estate (Camden) 54

Hints and tips for successful estate regeneration – a designer’s perspective 57

Contents

A conversation with Emma Peters, RegenFirst

Councils are beginning to build housing again. Onthe one hand this is good news and represents afantastic opportunity; but, on the other hand, wemust be careful not to repeat the mistakes of thepast. Those 20th century mono-tenure failed estateswere all built with good intentions. In our rush torespond to the escalating problem of housing need,we need to be mindful of the future that we arecreating.

Before considering the challenges ahead for councilsit is worth reflecting on how much change hashappened in housing over the last 10 to 15 years.Back in the 1990s, not so long ago, all we built in theUK was low-density executive housing in places suchas Milton Keynes.There was no council housebuilding. Housing associations were generally smallorganisations and very minor players in the housebuilding game.

Over the space of the intervening period, there hasbeen huge growth in the size and nature of housingassociations; through merger after merger they havechanged into corporate bodies with significantdevelopment and management capabilities,increasingly taking on the private developers at theirown game. Yet this has not been without itschallenges – financial, managerial and in design terms.

Too large a proportion of what has been built overthe last 15 years is of questionable quality in termsboth of the buildings and placemaking outcomes,which could prove to be expensive liabilities forthese organisations in the future.

The quality of the places that we create is very muchdependent on the organisations that make them –skills, resources, capability of staff, managementprocesses and corporate knowledge. Since the mid2000s, the quality of new housing has substantiallyimproved: architects have refined their approaches,development teams have gained knowledge andprocesses have matured. Important areas ofinnovation have included new funding and deliverymodels, councils’ use of the General Fund to delivernew housing, extending loan periods over longertime horizons (up to 60 years in some cases), moredirect partnering with private sector deliverypartners, the setting of stretching targets forcreation of new council housing and GLA andCentral Government initiatives such as the HousingBank, Housing Zones and DCLG’s EstateRegeneration Fund.

Council-led estateregeneration and housingdelivery – a new world

4

Imag

e:H

agge

rsto

nan

dKi

ngsla

ndEs

tate

sfr

omPR

PA

rchi

tect

sw

ebsit

e

The quality of the places that we create is very muchdependent on the organisations that make them –skills, resources, capability of staff, managementprocesses and corporate knowledge

6

As councils increasingly enter the game of housebuilding, the question is whether they are going tore-invent the wheel or harness this home-grownknowledge and expertise in order to avoid repeatingthe same old mistakes – not just of 50 years ago, butof the last 10 years too? Here are some things theyneed to bear in mind:Councils are custodians of ‘Place’Councils fundamentally differ from any otherpromoter of new development in so far as they arethe ultimate custodians of place.

Opportunity: It is their patch; they can only build intheir territory; it is their responsibility to create agood quality urban environment for their residents.In this respect councils are able, and should have theresources, to look at the whole picture, in particularthe creation of mixed and balanced communities.Councils do not need to think purely in terms of anumbers game; they don’t need to maximise privatehousing; nor do they need to seek only to deliversocial housing. They have the capacity to look at theexisting housing within an area and plan newelements to contribute and improve the balance ofthat mix – across tenures, lifestyles, families and agesof occupants.

Beware: The challenge with housing, however, isthat it is an inherently political issue: new homesequal new voters. By engineering the tenures ofhousing, you can try to secure a particular colourof rosette for that ward. But if councils allow suchpolitics to sway what types of housing they deliver,they are in severe danger of creating repeats ofplaces such as Thamesmead. Whilst new housingneeds to meet an insatiable demand, in the long-term places need to have mixed communities.Or else we will be back here again in 50 years’time, trying to resolve a new set of failed mono-tenure estates.

Proper masterplanningCouncils have the ability and responsibility to lookat the bigger picture in terms of whether an areafunctions as a good place to live, for exampleschools, community infrastructure, health facilitiesand the like.

Opportunity: Estate regeneration projects provideparticularly good opportunities to include schools(new or enlarged) as part of regeneration proposals.Sometimes this can release land beyond theboundary of a particular estate. And with the

promotion of housing zones by the GLA, there isthe potential to look at up-front physicalinfrastructure too – improving accessibility andunlocking land.

Beware: To do this the whole council has to pulltogether, to work and think creatively across alldepartments to harness the potential opportunities.At the same time, councils have to be wary of the‘internal client’ problem, where, for example, thosepromoting a new school have been known to act asif they are above the normal protocols of planningand railroad projects through without actingcooperatively with other departments.

Promoting development of any type from within acouncil has to be cleaner than clean, whiter thanwhite; officers need to understand this in theirbones and work to a bigger picture.

Financing housing deliveryIf they think creatively, as the private sector orhousing associations do, councils can harnesssignificant resources for regeneration and housingdelivery.

Opportunity: Councils do not need to make aprofit on individual schemes, nor do they have tomake financial returns within specific timescales. Forestate regeneration, in particular, there is almostalways a funding gap; but this can be resolvedthrough relatively cheap borrowing and by extendingthe time horizon for payback until a project isprofitable. This empowers councils to choose todeliver what is appropriate to a location (creating abalanced community) and not just what willgenerate a quick return over the next two years.

Beware: Councils have had a grant mentality for toolong. To harness the advantages afforded by theirstatus as a public body, they need to think like abusiness (for example, maintaining a rolling debtposition). At the same time they need to be realistic;a council may not need to generate a 20% profit; butis it realistic to assume that it will manage as tight aship as a private sector operator? Comparingprojects on a like-for-like basis may be erroneous andto assume that that 20% profit is entirely spare forploughing back into a project may be a littlefoolhardy.

7

Imag

e:Be

rkel

yH

omes

Funding routesClever use of the General Fund creates interestingopportunities.

Opportunity: For example, a whole mix of differentrental products can be created where full or evenpremium housing for rent can be used to subsidiseintermediate rent and social rent homes.Furthermore,mixing different types of rental producttogether gives much greater control of the finalcommunity mix; contrast this to some private sectorpromoted developments, where a third of the unitsare sold to the Far East and remain permanentlyempty, another third go to buy-to-let with no controlover occupation and only the final third (or less) endup being used and of use to the local community.

Beware: Councils need to be very much aware ofthe stipulations of different funding strategies. Whilstit may be tempting to use the new found freedomsassociated with the Housing RevenueAccount, thereare still strict limitations on what can be built by thismeans and whatever is built is ultimately bound by‘right to buy’. All that hard work to create newcouncil housing maybe for nought.

Alternatively, if you build for private rent, how areyou going to manage it in a way that maintains a

good income stream? As a generality, councils have(or at the very least are perceived to have) a poortrack record on housing management; any failings inthat regard and the rents achievable for thosepremium private rental properties may whither.Suddenly that long-term business plan begins to lookflaky. The assumptions within the viabilityassessments for these new developments need to beinterrogated to be sure that they are actually valid ina council delivery situation.

Commissioning new developmentHow best to go about delivery? In the space of thelast 15 years the London housing industry has reallybegun to grow up.

Opportunity: Amongst both the developers, inparticular including housing associations, and thevariety of different technical consultants, there isnow considerable expertise to help design, deliverand manage new housing. In seeking to create newstock, councils are in an excellent position to harnessthat expertise. The question that councils need toask themselves is whether they really want to beexperts in design, delivery and management orwhether it would be much better to focus on beingintelligent clients and good commissioners of newhousing.

Beware: Reflecting on the variety of housing‘spaceships’ that have landed on our townscape, inparticular during the early to mid-noughties, and thepains and tribulations experienced by the variety ofhousing associations during the early years of rampingup their ability to deliver new housing, the questionthat councils need to ask themselves seriously iswhether they plan to repeat all those same mistakes.Would it not be better to commission the people,who have already become expert at design, deliveryand management, to do it for you?

sIn conclusion, it is brilliant news that councils havestarted to deliver new council housing. But docouncils really want to return to the 1960s and thelarge in-house design and delivery teams of thosedays? Or would it be better to keep an in-housestreamlined commissioning team that can harnessconsiderable outside resource to design, deliver andmanage on a project-by-project basis? This does notmean handing over ownership of land and property,as was the case for stock transfer projects; rather itrequires expertise in constructing contracts toensure timely, efficient delivery to high qualityspecifications and then management to exactingstandards.

It is brilliant news that councils have started to delivernew council housing. But do councils really want toreturn to the 1960s and the large in-house design anddelivery teams of those days? Or would it be better tokeep an in-house streamlined commissioning team thatcan harness considerable outside resource

Imag

e:Br

idge

Hou

sean

dan

dM

aria

nC

ourt

,Hac

kney

,by

Haw

kins

Brow

n

9

To partner or not to partner?

The way that we collectively go about propertydevelopment, especially large-scale propertydevelopment, is changing – in some very interestingways. As councils become more proactive in seekingto deliver housing and urban regeneration in theirareas, they need to consider what these changesmean and how they might be harnessed.

In the 1990s and early 2000s, on the back of the EganReport (remember that?) the idea of partnering wasdiscussed and debated ad nauseum. Everyonerecognised that improving partnership workingwithin the delivery and construction of newdevelopment was a good idea; but few seemed to bedoing it; and fewer still were doing it and enjoying it.

There was an aspiration to move away from thehighly adversarial ways of operating, but nobodyseemed quite sure how to make it happen in a waythat suited all involved.

There is much less discussion about partnering now;yet one of the big changes taking place in the

industry over the last few years has been a growingappreciation of how to make partnerships reallywork and an increasing tendency for partneringbetween quite disparate organisations.

But, needs must. The financial crash of 2008 hasgreatly reduced the availability of funding – bothpublic and private. With developers and housingassociations wishing to remain in the game ofdevelopment andurban regeneration, they have found it necessary tobring their different skills, assets and resourcestogether to facilitate delivery.

Lessons are being learnt quickly about what does anddoes not make partnering between organisationswork. Some of the biggest housing associations areleading the way; even though they might appear tohave the resources, they have discovered that theycan enter into very fruitful and mutually beneficialcollaborations with private sector partners.

There are five cardinal rules for successfulpartnering:

One: recognising different organizationalobjectivesThe first and most important maxim is to recognisethat different partners will, by virtue of who they are,have different organisational and business objectives.For example, a private sector partner will have aclear profit motive or a minimum level of profitabilityon a project in order to be able to raise debt funding,whereas a housing association will need to meet itssocial and community objectives, as set by its missionand then board. It is essential that, when entering

A conversation with Richard Jones, EC Harris

Imag

e:H

endo

nW

ater

side,

Barr

att

Lond

on

into a partnership, the different partners statehonestly and clearly what their objectives and needsare, communicate them clearly and stick to them.

Two: be clear who brings what to the partnershipThe different partners need to be clear about whatthey are bringing to the table and, in turn, what eachwill take from the table at the end.

What different partners can offer might not alwaysbe obvious. They may, for example, have differentappetites or abilities to carry or absorb risk: aspart of this process of agreeing partnership terms,it is necessary to consider up-front the up-side anddown-side possibilities for a project and what theimplications could be for each of the differentpartners and how this relates to their ability todeal with risk. A benefits case needs to beestablished for each prospective partner. A goodexample is provided by the recent deal donebetween the HCA andWates Living Space inAylesbury (see box).

Three: long-term alignmentIn the process of agreeing terms, the parties candiscover the third (very important) criteria forpartner arrangements – can they work together,long-term? Just as people entering into partnershipsof various types need to like each other and be ableto get along, so too organisations need to have ameeting of minds and culture in order to be able towork well together. This can be found throughsharing long-term objectives andaspirations: do both organisations believe, forexample, in providing a quality product? The lattermight be based on different logic – providing newresidents with a good quality place to live ormaximising value or building a good reputation orminimising management costs; whatever the reasons,the end intentions need to be compatible.

Four: transparencyPartnering works best when financial tools can beharnessed to make scheme finances transparent.Imagine the scenario when a new design has been

10

Phot

o:KI

ngs

Cre

scen

tby

HH

bR

Imag

e:H

endo

nW

ater

side,

Barr

att

Lond

on

11

prepared, valued and costed. This may be runthrough a jointly agreed appraisal model to give aproject level viability check. Then each partner goesaway and re-runs all the figures through their owncorporate appraisals to understand what the impactof the new proposals are to them. Then they allcome back together with different views of thefinancial implications of the proposed designs. Thiscan take weeks or even months to turn around andmight lead to conflict, or at the very least projecttensions. It is much better if all the different financialfigures can be expressed up-front, transparentlyshowing how the implications affect each

organisation. Only then can different partnersgenuinely work together, seeing life from each other’sperspective.

Five: understanding each other’s decision-makingprocessesAnd fifthly – but probably not finally, as much is stillto be learnt about organisational partnering in thedevelopment game – there is the process ofdecision-making. Different organisations need to beclear how and on what basis they will need to makedecisions and how quickly they can make thosedecisions. Failure to do so can lead to muchfrustration between partners.

SummaryAs councils enter the fray of actively taking forwarddevelopment and regeneration in their own patch,they need to consider how they will procure delivery.The principal options available are:(1)To sell the land and leave it to the private/not-for-profit sectors to deliver, such as through the stocktransfer programme. This can be successful, butmany councils prefer to have more control of theoutcome. It also leaves a council divesting itself of itsassets, which may not be politically acceptable.

(2)To look for delivery partners – taking on-boardthe considerations above.

(3)To contract others to deliver directly for them.This might give the council maximum control, but itrequires funding to finance delivery and it is entirelypredicated on the council having in-house the skills,knowledge and expertise to be a good client.

Councils need to learn to think rationally about thechoices open to them and decide which route tofollow on the basis of what is genuinely going towork (based on funding, resources and expertiseavailable and, of course, political preferences) as wellas what will deliver the end objectives. However,decisions solely based on political presumptionsmight cause problems in the future.

Each project may require its own approach, albeitthere may be significant advantages to be gained toplan more strategically at a programme level. Whencouncils do enter into partnerships with eitherprivate sector or not-for-profit organisations, theyneed to be wholly committed and recognise thaturban regeneration, in particular, is a marathon, not asprint; it requires long-term planning, preparation,commitment and endurance.

Drake’s Place: finance approach

The Drake’s Place scheme inAylesburywill provide 75 new homes. It was aredundant brownfield site owned by theHCA. The agreement withWatesinvolves the HCA putting in the land fornil consideration up-front; the partnerswill share the up-lift in residual landvalue created by the project. Thisprocess removes the need forWates toborrow any money to pay for the land,thereby reducing the need to carry landpurchase debt through the project. Thisreduces project risk and allowsWates totake a reduced profit margin, taken as apriority prior to sharing the final landvalue generated by the project.The agreement between the partners,however, protects both public andprivate sector parties, so that if returnsare lower than expected (up to a limit),the financial arrangements will be re-jigged to ensure that both still profitfrom the joint venture.

Phot

o:w

ww

.dra

kesp

lace

.co.

uk

12

At Hackney, they are making use of their land to buildmore than 2,760 new well designed council homesfor social renting, shared ownership and private sale,funded through land receipts, rental income, sharedownership sales, and prudential borrowing, as part ofa comprehensive estate regeneration programme.

The 18-site programme is in its fourth year and wellunder way,with nearly 300 homes built so far,including 201 homes for social renting.Theprogramme is replacing existing, poor-quality homes,one in five of which are bedsits, with new homes thatmeet or exceed the Mayor’s Housing DesignStandards, all Lifetime Homes criteria, and achieveCode for Sustainable Homes Level 4. However, theCouncil is not simply building new homes – they aretransforming neighbourhoods with new streets,squares and public spaces.

In the past, their approach to estate regeneration wasto consider site-specific solutions, either through ajoint venture or by means of a land disposal.Many ofthe individual schemes proved financially non-viable,mainly because of the upfront cost of acquiringleasehold and freehold properties, and, ultimately,these schemes could not be progressed.

This has been overcome by taking a portfolioapproach, combining surplus-generating schemes withthose requiring net investment,meaning theprogramme is self-funding. For example, in the earlystages of the programme, allowing the building of 42additional private sale properties at one site paid fora further 20 Council shared ownership homes to bebuilt at another site nearby. This represents the firsttime any local authority has both built and managedits own shared ownership homes, and the vanguard of500 to be built by the Council in the next few years.

The Council’s estate regeneration team is leading onthe delivery of this programme at all stages – startingwith strategic decisions on which estates and sites toredevelop through to setting the briefs for sites,selecting architects and the wider design teams,managing the design process, getting planningpermission and procuring contractors or developerpartners.Once built and handed over,HackneyCouncil will manage and maintain the developmentsinto the future.

Tenants have the Right to Return,with all new socialhomes at target rent with lifetime tenancies, as partof the commitment to ensure Hackney both now andin future is a borough of mixed communities.Theybelieve in supporting leaseholders and freeholdersthroughout the regeneration process – offering apackage of shared equity, rent-free, and sharedownership options to ensure they can stay on theirestate or in their locality if they wish.

Hackney is an example of a London local authoritymaking effective use of its land to build newaffordable homes for those that need them most, allamid unprecedented budget cuts.

A leading example:the Hackney approach

Imag

e:Ka

raku

sevi

cC

arso

nA

rchi

tect

s,Br

idpo

rtPl

ace,

byIo

ana

Mar

ines

cu

There is a strong commitment to good design in Hackney, andthe Council aims to build homes and neighbourhoods thatlast, make successful places, and are a pleasure to live in

Case studies in London

1.Andover Estate (Islington) 14

2.Aylesbury Estate (Southwark) 17

3. Bacton Estate (Camden) 21

4. Claredale Street (Tower Hamlets) 24

5. Colville Estate (Hackney) 27

6. Copley Close (Ealing) 30

7. DollisValley (Barnet) 33

8. Hallsville Quarter (Newham) 36

9. Highmead (Enfield) 39

10. Kings Crescent (Hackney) 42

11. Myatts Field North (Lambeth) 45

12. Peabody Avenue (Westminster) 48

13.ThamesView East (Barking & Dagenham) 51

14.Tybalds Estate (Camden) 54

13

4

5

6 12

7

8

9

10

13

14

11

2

01 ANDOVER ESTATELondon Borough of Islington

.

14

The resident community of theAndover Estateestablished theAndover Future Forum in 2012 topromote the holistic regeneration of theAndoverEstate based not only on the traditional developmentof new housing and some landscape interventions, butalso on social cohesion, healthy living and job creation.This resulted in publication of theAndover Estate

Development Plan (AEDP) in June 2013.The plan setsout aspirations to improve the layout and design ofthe estate, primarily through the development ofaround 140 new homes together with a selection ofother social and economic interventions. It alsoproposes landscaping works to improve the estate’soutdoor spaces.

1. AndoverEstate beforeregeneration;

2. Proposedscheme;

3. AndoverEstate beforeregeneration;

4. Communityengagement;

5. Existingbuildings

Architect/design Annie Lennox Landscape & Studio RS

Density units/ha before & after 105 > 119

Density uplift (%) 13.4

1 2

34

5

15

TheAndover Estate in Holloway, Islington wasconstructed between the mid 1950s and the late1970s. It comprises 1,064 homes spread across 14hectares and is the largest housing estate in theFinsbury Park ward.The accommodation includeshouses,maisonettes and flats in a range of sizes andtypes.Three large triangular buildings dominate theskyline.The population is diverse, rapidly expandingand suffers from higher than average levels of poorhealth and low educational attainment.

Key features� Initiated and driven by the community.

ChallengesThe estate is characterised by typical inner citychallenges including high unemployment, antisocial

behaviour, crime and deprivation.However,regeneration proposals for the estate could helptackle the following key issues:

� over-crowding on the estate has becomeproblematic for residents, especially youngfamilies, and there are opportunities within theestate to deliver more housing, including family-sized homes;

� the urban layout is poor in terms of security andpermeability due to unclear through routes anda maze-like network of enclosed communalcourtyards;

� premature mortality from cardiovascularillnesses is 80% higher than the national average,so improvements will include green space andcommunity gardens to encourage a healthier,more active lifestyle.The feasibility of a newhealth centre on the estate will also be explored,although delivery would be subject to thefunding being made available from NHS Englandor other external sources.

Is there a resident community, and is itcooperative?The Finsbury Park Community Hub,which is basedon the estate, originally secured £7,000 from theDesign Council to carry out a small feasibility study.This provided an analysis of the built environment andbegan to consider possible solutions that would meetthe housing needs of residents of the estate and dealwith the poor quality of the public spaces. IslingtonCouncil then provided more funding to progressmore detailed design work,which led to theAndoverEstate Development Plan (AEDP).Once initiated, theresident community, under the name of AndoverFuture Forum, became the driving force behind theproject.The Forum comprises approximately 50residents from the estate or surroundingneighbourhoods (15 of whom are young people),council officers from relevant departments,professional advisors, ward councillors, andrepresentatives of other local stakeholders includingAndoverTenants and Residents Association,St Mark’s Church, the Metropolitan Police, andArsenal football club.

What is the design response?TheAndover Future Forum is now promoting theAndover Estate Development Plan, which aims toimprove the layout and design of the estate throughthe construction of up to 140 new homes, all to bebuilt to high environmental sustainability standards. Im

ages

from

And

over

Esta

teD

evel

opm

ent

Plan

,by

And

over

Futu

reFo

rum

Andover Estate before regeneration

The potential development sites include 260 garagesacross the estate,many of which are unused andconsidered unsafe, some of which could be convertedto residential or agricultural use. The new homes willbe targeted at people who already live on the estatethrough a local lettings policy, including overcrowdedfamilies and existing residents who wish to downsize.

In addition to new homes, a range of landscape,conservation and environmental improvements areproposed.TheAEDP includes a landscape master planto improve verges and rationalize hedge planting, treepits and open areas and proposes that redundantspaces should become community gardens.

What role is the Council playing?Islington Council was approached by residents andhas supported this bottom-up, community-ledapproach.The clear support of the local communitywill significantly reduce project delivery risks andmake it easier to establish a commercial strategy.Going forward, the Council will work in partnership

withAndover Future Forum to delivery shared aimsand objectives for the regeneration of the estate..

How is the project being funded?The project will be funded through the Council'sNew Build Programme which is resourced in severalways, including receipts from open market sales, Rightto Buy, one-for-one replacement and other capitalreceipts,New Homes Bonus and Housing RevenueAccount (HRA) borrowing. The construction of upto 140 homes is likely to cost in excess of £30m.With related estate improvements of around £5m,the total costs could be over £35m.

Given the scale and complexity of the scheme, theregeneration proposals would require cross-subsidythrough the provision of homes for open market saleand/or private rent.

What is the procurement route?All works for the new housing and landscaping andfor ongoing management of the estate will beprocured by the Council although the localcommunity, including theAndover Future Forum willbe fully consulted on key contractor and consultancyappointments necessary to develop proposals up tothe planning application stage and beyond

What is the long-term ownership andmanagement strategy?Ownership of the new homes will remain with theCouncil, with the exception of any units built for sale.The management of homes on the estate, includingleasehold properties, will also be retained by theCouncil unless alternative arrangements are agreed,for example the establishment of aTenantManagement Organisation.

16

Once initiated, the resident community, under the name ofAndover Future Forum, became the driving force behind theproject.The Forum comprises approximately 50 residentsfrom the estate or surrounding neighbourhoods

Old Andover northwest site massing with roof farm

17

TheAylesbury Estate was awarded New Deal forCommunities (NDC) status in 1999. It subsequentlyreceived £56.2 million from central government toreduce social deprivation amongst the residentpopulation. £36m was allocated to physicalregeneration, and £20 million for developing a socialprogramme of interventions. In terms of physicalregeneration this proved not enough due to the size,condition and complexity of the estate.With thesupport of residents, the estate is now the subject ofone of the largest-ever regeneration projects in theUK, following many years of delay.

LB Southwark adopted theAylesburyAreaActionPlan (AAAP) in January 2010,which includes a master

plan to revive the traditional urban grain and streetpattern destroyed by the 1960s estate and envisagesroughly double the number of homes.The first phaseof development,Albany Place, was completed in 2013.In the coming years all of the estate’s existingbuildings and landscaping will be demolished andreplaced with new flats, houses and redesigned publicrealm.The entire regeneration project is expected tofinish in 2032.

TheAylesbury Estate, in Southwark, South London, ishome to over 7,500 people and includes schools,offices, community buildings and shops. It isimmediately north of Burgess Park, one of the largestparks in central London.The estate covers around

02 AYLESBURY ESTATELondon Borough of Southwark

Development partner Notting Hill Housing Trust

Architect/design HTA Design LLP, Hawkins Brown & Mae architects, phase 1A Levitt Bernstein

Density units/ha before & after 95 > 147, phase 1A 31 > 139

Density uplift (%) 75, phase 1A 342.4

Housing manager Notting Hill Housing, phase 1A L&Q

Aylesbury Estate: constructed phase

The first phase of the development on thesouth west corner of the estate was designedby the architects Levitt BernsteinArchitectsfor the housing association L&Q. It is an awardwinning development that has set a precedentfor the rest of the regeneration project.Thedevelopment consists of five buildings two to10 storeys in height and includes 261 newhomes,a 166 sq m replacement resourcecentre for vulnerable adults and 404 sq m ofground floor retail space.

The new homes include private sale, sharedownership, and affordable and intermediaterent units, all carefully designed so that thedevelopment is externally tenure-blind.Allunits are dual aspect and generally orientatedto face south or west,within generally five-

storey buildings that are constructed tointeract with the street and operate at amuch more human scale than those thatthey replace.

The materials are brick, zinc and eternitboard used in a variety of colours andconfigurations.The brickwork is paleindigenous London stock deployed in apatchwork with other shades. The samematerials have been used for internalterraces, hallways and courtyards as for theexterior.This creates a sense of continuityspreading inwards from the street and alsomakes maintenance cheaper and easier. Afurther L&Q development is currentlyunder construction on the north-eastcorner of the estate, which will provide afurther 147 new mixed tenure homes.

18

The development agreement commits them to deliver theCouncil’s adopted master plan; 50% of the new homes will beaffordable, of which 75% will be for social rent and 25% forshared ownership or equity, and a minimum of 30% across alltenures will have three bedrooms or more

1.View of Westmoreland Park; 2.View of Chartridge from Burgess Park BMX track; 3.View of BradenhamClose showing new blocks; 4.View of development site

1 2

43

28.5 hectares and is only 15 minutes commute fromthe central business district of London. The estate iswell known and has helped to create thestereotypical image of a ‘problem’ high-rise estate.Various gangster films portraying urban decay havebeen filmed there.

Key features� Scale of the ambition – the estate is very largeand is heavily occupied

� Length of time to commence, but project is nowprogressing in earnest

� First phase (Albany Place) built to exceptionallyhigh quality

ChallengesA variety of issues are addressed by this scheme:

� since its construction the estate has beencriticised for its large, inhuman scale;

� the built fabric has deteriorated badly andcannot be retained;

� the layout includes raised walkways and blankfrontages which contribute to crime and safetyissues;

� the district heating system has deteriorated andled to several instances of loss of heating andhot water; and

� the estate does not make efficient use of theland - the average residential density is 340habitable rooms per hectare (circa 100 dwellingsper hectare).

Is there a resident community and is itcooperative?In 2001 a proposal to transfer the ownership andmanagement of the estate to a housing associationwas rejected by residents in a ballot. In September2005 the Council announced it had decided to worktowards phased demolition and redevelopment of theestate and began to develop a masterplan for thearea.TheAylesbury NDC board and its successororganisation, CreationTrust, ran informal consultationevents throughout the plan-making process. Residentfeedback mainly related to making the estate morefamily-friendly and re-providing homes with equallygenerous floor space.

A core group of residents has worked with theCouncil over a number of years as proposals weredeveloped and consulted on.There have beenfrustrations from residents with the length of time ithas taken for proposals to come to fruition, howeverwith the first phase of development now complete,

construction underway on another site and adevelopment partner appointed for the developmentof the remainder of the estate this has engendered anew optimism.

What is the design response?TheAAAP sets out principles to ensure newdevelopment becomes integrated with itssurroundings rather than continuing to feel separatefrom the wider city, embracing all the latest thinkingin urban design practice.The principles are backed upby detailed design codes.TheAAAP also divides theestate into development sites for phasing purposesand to enable a large number of existing residentsthe opportunity to stay living within the footprintof the estate.The residential density will roughlydouble (from 2,400 existing to 4,200 homes) and willinvolve the introduction of a mixed tenurecommunity, with 50% of the new homes beingaffordable (75% at target rent and 25% intermediatehousing products) and 50% will be private. 35% willbe houses or maisonettes with two or morebedrooms.

What role is the Council playing?LB Southwark led on the development of theAAAPto set the framework for the future development ofthe estate. The Council then procured L&Q to carryout development of the first phase in order to testout the development strategy and the designproposals. A further procurement process was runon another small site on the estate, which was againwon by L&Q, before an 18-month OJEU procurementprocess for a development partner was undertakento determine who in partnership with the Councilwould redevelop the remainder of the estate. In May2014, the council signed a development partnershipagreement with Notting Hill HousingTrust for a 20-year redevelopment of the remainder of the estate.The Council is bearing the cost of land assembly anddemolition to slab level.Vacant possession of the sitewill be secured on a phase-by-phase basis. Existingcouncil tenants on the estate will be given theopportunity to remain in affordable homes in theborough and return following the redevelopment ifthey wish.The land is in the main owned by LBSouthwark except for a number of RightTo Buy(RTB) and business leases.The Council must acquirethese from existing leaseholders in order to facilitatethe wider regeneration project.Negotiations to re-purchase these properties is ongoing although theCouncil has had to use its compulsory purchasepowers on some sites.

19

How is the project being funded?Some £13m of HCA funding and £4m NDC fundingunlocked the first phase of development.The Counciloriginally aspired to use £180m of Private FinanceInitiative (PFI) funding to deliver the next 360 homes,which it was hoped would act as a catalyst for afurther 583 homes.However this funding waswithdrawn by central government in November 2010.This prompted the decision to seek to work withdevelopment partners.TheAAAP includes a tariffscheme to secure financial contributions for keyinfrastructure such as new routes, open spaces andcommunity facilities.The Council also successfullyobtained £2m from the GLA under the Priority Parksscheme for improvements to Burgess Park, a publicpark of 56 hectares adjacent to the estate’s southernboundary.

What is the procurement route?Notting Hill HousingTrust has been procured todeliver the regeneration project in partnership withthe Council over the next 20 years.The developmentagreement commits them to deliver the Council’s

adopted master plan; 50% of the new homes will beaffordable, of which 75% will be for social rent and25% for shared ownership or equity, and a minimumof 30% across all tenures will have three bedrooms ormore.Notting Hill HousingTrust is working withBarratt London as their developer partner and apanel of architects including HTA Design LLP,HawkinsBrown and MaeArchitects.

The development agreement includes a fixed pricefor the first development site, payable in installmentsas the site is built out. Land value for subsequentplots will be established through an agreed financialmodel with inputs for development costs andreceipts.The inputs include fixed profit, investmentin the affordable rented units and the Council’sshare of development overage.The first option topurchase land for the later phases depends onsatisfactory performance against milestones forprevious phases. Notting Hill HousingTrust mustalso fund £1.25m of community benefit during thefirst 5 years and provide a new community buildingon the first site at a peppercorn rent.

What is the long-term ownership andmanagement strategy?Notting Hill Housing will manage all of the newhousing stock.The Council will continue to nominatetenants for the affordable units until all existingAylesbury tenants have been rehoused.The Councilwill keep responsibility for community spaces,adopted roads and the public realm.

Note:The new homes to be delivered as part of the AylesburyEstate do not form part of the programme announced by LBSouthwark in April 2014 to build 11,000 new council homes overthe next 30 years

20

The residential density will roughly double (from 2,400to 4,200 homes) and will involve the introduction of amixed tenure community

New adult learning centre

Imag

e:Le

vitt

Bern

stei

n

21

The Bacton Estate Tenants and Residents’Association (TRA) expressed an interest inexploring the regeneration option for their estatein 2011.Within three months, the residents werefilmed for Channel 4’s ‘Secret Lives of Buildings’television series. Since that time a large-scaleregeneration project for the estate has beenworked up collaboratively between CamdenCouncil, the local community and appointedarchitects.

The architects met with the TRA on over 50occasions in the first three years to discuss everyaspect of the scheme, often joined by localcouncilors and the local MP Frank Dobson.Aphased delivery programme began in 2013 that willtransform the neighbourhood over six years,demolishing the existing buildings and providinghigh quality new homes, beautifully landscapedgardens and play spaces.

Bacton Estate is located in Gospel Oak,Camden.Theexisting buildings are synonymous with the failings of

1960s estate architecture.The estate consists offour-storey blocks connected by deck accessroutes.Damp and antisocial behaviour arepersistent problems.

Key features� Community initiated� Challenging phasing and decanting strategy� Speed of delivery� New market sale homes mixed into socialhousing estate achieved resident support

ChallengesThe main objective is to address the poor condition,design faults and energy inefficiency of the residentialblocks on the estate.The brief for the regenerationproject set by the residents and LB Camden hasinsisted on an approach that as far as possible isfinancially viable without any outside funding.Theyhave also insisted that new homes must be providedfor the existing residents on a phased basis beforetheir old homes are demolished.

Is there a resident community and is itcooperative?Despite its problems, the Bacton Estate has a strongneighbourhood spirit. The residents initiated theproject, approaching LB Camden to ask for theirestate to be regenerated. Within six months anarchitectural competition took place to commission amasterplan.

The design team delivered presentations regularlyduring the process so that the residents and widercommunity could be involved in progressing thedesigns.TheTRA was instrumental in involving asmany people as possible in the design process and

03 BACTON ESTATELondon Borough of Camden

Development partner LB Camden

Architect/design Karakusevic Carson Architects


Density uplift (%) 196

Housing manager LB Camden

Aerial view

Imag

e:Ka

raku

sevi

cC

arso

nA

rchi

tect

s

22

ensuring that the design strategy reflected localpeople’s needs and responded to their concerns.In addition a consultation strategy was developed byCamden Council to engage with statutory and otherthird party stakeholders such as the Greater LondonAuthority and Network Rail.

What is the design response?The regeneration masterplan aims to replace all ofthe existing buildings while working respectfully withneighbouring listed buildings and mature trees.Residents initially requested a completely low-risehousing solution to replace the existing blocks.However this proved to be financially unviable. Theexpected construction of the Euston-NorthWest

High Speed 2 rail line just north of the site alsocreated acoustic and environmental health constraintsthat have affected the masterplan.The final proposalconsists of a new street with medium density familyhousing ranging in height from 2 to 8 storeys with thetaller blocks in key locations. It aims to create amodern expression of urban family life, with frontgardens, communal squares, high quality brickworkand generous windows.Once the project iscompleted, high quality older buildings in thesurrounding streetscape will frame new civic placesand streets, improving permeability and responding todesire lines through the local neighbourhood.Communal and private entrances at street level havebeen designed to encourage activity within the public

Imag

es:K

arak

usev

icC

arso

nA

rchi

tect

s

1

2 3

23

realm. Rooftop amenity space and balconies willprovide open space and the perimeter blocks willlook onto beautifully landscaped gardens accessible toall of the residents. Residents expressed a strongdesire to avoid replacing the original estate with asimilar architectural language. In response, a variety ofrooflines will help to create a rich and interestingtownscape that gives an identity and sense of place toeach part of the site.

What role is the Council playing?LB Camden is acting as developer for the scheme.The Council has retained management control of allaspects of the regeneration project in partnershipwith a proactive resident steering group.

How is the project being funded?The project is being funded primarily by the Councilwith some additional funds from the Homes andCommunities Agency (HCA).However it is expectedthat the project will ultimately be cost neutral.Thesale of private units will cross-subsidise the entireregeneration project; the Council will recoup allinvested capital.

What is the procurement route?LB Camden used a two stage tender process toprocure a design and build team for the project.Thismeant that the original architects prepared a detaileddesign pack (RIBA stage E) and constructioncontractors tendered for the design and buildcontract with a proposed design team. In the firststage, quoting overheads, preliminary costs and profitmargin percentages.

As a result, the Council was able to protect thedesign quality already consulted on and approved bythe residents in the detailed specification. An openbook tender process followed for the second stage,allowing the Council to ensure best value andappraise value engineering decisions within bids.Arguably, the procurement route used for the projectwas much more selective and transparent than atraditional Design and Build contract.

What is the long-term ownership andmanagement strategy?The Council will retain the freehold of all the landand will use their own in-house maintenance team tolook after the affordable units. Camden may chooseto manage the private sale blocks themselves.However, it is more likely that a private company willbe appointed, financed by the service charge to theprivate units.

Bacton Estate: constructed phaseThe first phase of the Bacton Estateregeneration project has been designed by thearchitects Karakusevic CarsonArchitects andwill be completed in 2015. It consists of 67 newhomes, 46 of which are for social rent and 21for private sale.To facilitate the widerregeneration project, a disused councilbuilding, the former District Housing Office,has been redeveloped first and the siteconverted to residential use.This has providednew homes for around half of the BactonEstate’s existing tenants to move into, which in

turn has allowed the homes that they vacatedto be demolished for the next phase ofregeneration, which will complete in late2016/17. The new residential units are tenureblind from the outside and range in size fromone to four bedrooms.The design utilisesdifferent brick types to define form andhighlight changes in typology.This enhancesthe public realm by giving the streetscape avaried and rich character. Deep windowrecesses help define larger blocks,makingthem appear smaller and giving them a morehuman sense of scale at street level.

1, 2 & 3: Proposed scheme;4: Community engagement

4

24

Claredale Street is an award-winning housingdevelopment, which was completed in 2010 byTower Hamlets Community Housing. It was thesecond phase of an estate regeneration started bySwan Housing Association in Bethnal Green,TowerHamlets.The scheme occupies the former site ofBradley House, a 1960s block of eight stories, whichwas demolished and replaced by an estate of mainlylow-rise terraced streets containing 77 houses in amix of tenures. 28 of the new homes are affordablefamily homes; 22 are Social Rented and 6 are SharedOwnership; these include 4 bedroom family homesfor extended families. The scheme was aforerunner of the current swathe of projects acrossLondon and demonstrated the potential to achievetransformation of local areas through estateregeneration.

Bradley House and Connett House (where thelatter formed phase one by Swan HA) were failingstructurally and suffered from ill-definedpublic/private spaces, which detracted from thesurrounding streetscape.

Key features� Award-winning, tenure neutral designcomprising interesting façade treatments andthoughtfully designed landscaped areas.

� Innovative housing typologies, includingmaisonette flats sitting over large ground floorcourtyards flats

� An early example of successful estateregeneration

� This scheme was delivered in partnership withthe local authority; it has proven to be anexemplar scheme in terms of using high qualitydesign to enhance a local area.

ChallengesThe objective of the two phases was to demolishthe two blocks and to create a scheme with asimilar quantum of social housing but using the leastamount of public subsidy, whilst enhancing thecharacter and quality of the area.

Is there a resident community and is itcooperative?Tower Hamlets Community Housing, which ownsand manages the estate, consulted the localcommunity extensively to define their needs andaspirations.This identified a need to broaden thesocial mix, to provide homes large enough to assistwith their overcrowding strategy and to providesmaller homes for residents in larger propertieswishing to downsize but to stay in the local area,and to open up the area. From this, a rigorousdevelopment brief was formulated.

04 CLAREDALE STREETLondon Borough of Tower Hamlets

Development partner Tower Hamlets Community Housing




Housing manager Tower Hamlets Community Housing

Imag

e:D

ave

And

erso

n

The original Bradley House building

25

What is the design response?In the immediate surroundings there are a numberof successful and vibrantVictorian/Edwardianneighbourhoods including Bethnal Green and theJesus Hospital conservation area, which acted asvisual cues for the Claredale Street scheme.Thearchitects focused on reinstating and referencinghistoric street patterns, building scales and materials

from nearby, and sought to create an intimatemini-neighbourhood reconnected to thesurrounding urban fabric.

The development has re-established a number ofstreets and connections that were previouslysevered by Bradley House. New pedestrian friendlypublic space is fronted by family houses andmaisonettes. There are also more privatelandscaped courtyards and overall the area is easierto understand and move through.Affordable familyhousing at the heart of the scheme is at a similarscale to neighbouringVictorian terraces. The designof some of the homes involved novel typologieswhere flats sit above large single-storey groundIm

ages

:Kar

akus

evic

Car

son

Arc

hite

cts

1,2,3 &4:The new Claredale Estate

1 2 3

4

26

level flats, where the latter have internal courtyardsfor their external amenity space.

The resulting scheme has more accommodationthan the former building on the site but delivers avery different neighbourhood in terms of tenuremix, housing type, increased and improved publicand private realm, townscape, green space, openedup streets and courtyards and gardens.The changehas radically improved the sense of community andpublic safety.

What role is the Council playing?Tower Hamlets Community Housing acted asdeveloper, working in partnership with LBTowerHamlets and the local community; the Councilprovided transfer of free land to facilitate thescheme.

How is the project being funded?The scheme was mainly funded by cross-subsidyfrom the sale of 49 apartments and a small grantfrom the HCA.The scheme was delivered duringthe worst stage of the 2008-2009 financial crisis.However the quality of the design meant that the

shared ownership properties were oversubscribedby 60:1 and the market sale units were sold at 20%above initial valuations within 3 months ofcompletion.

What is the procurement route?The project was tendered through an OJEU processby THCH; this led to formation of a joint venturewith Hill Residential, where the contract wasexecuted through a traditional design and buildcontract.The tender drawings were taken to RIBAStage D/E to ensure construction contractors couldprice the building fully and best value could beachieved in terms of material choices andconstruction techniques.

What is the long-term ownership andmanagement strategy?Tower Hamlets Community Housing continues tomanage the development and has a full timefacilities management team which carries outmaintenance and repairs in a timely manner and toa high standard.This should ensure that thebuildings will stand the test of time and residentscontinue to feel proud of the neighbourhood.

The architects focusedon reinstating andreferencing historic streetpatterns, building scalesand materials fromnearby, and sought tocreate an intimate mini-neighbourhoodreconnected to thesurrounding urban fabric

The new estate street facades

Hackney Council is undertaking the ambitiousregeneration of the Colville Estate – a 4.9 hectarecouncil estate in Hoxton. Over a 15-year period 435existing homes will be replaced with 935 new onesfor social rent, shared ownership and private sale.The first phase, Bridport House, completed in 2011,has provided 41 new homes for social rent, and wasco-funded by Hackney Council and the GreaterLondon Authority (GLA).

In addition to building much-needed new homes, theproject aims to transform the street network andpublic realm and reconnect the estate with thesurrounding areas of De Beauvoir, Hoxton and theRegent’s Canal.To achieve this, the existing estatewill be demolished and new street connections witha more defined public realm introduced.A masterplan application for the comprehensiveredevelopment of the estate was approved by theCouncil’s planning committee on 18th July 2011.Theapplication also defined a Design Code andDevelopment Zones for later phases of the Colvilleregeneration project. Phase 1 has been built andreserved matters permissions have been granted forPhases 2 and 3.

The Colville Estate is bounded to the south byShoreditch Park and to the north by the Regent’sCanal.The surrounding context is typical of the richand varied grain that predominates in much ofNorth East London.The buildings of the estate areprimarily four to five storey 1930s brick blocks, withone 14-storey 1950s block. Several attempts toregenerate the estate in the 2000s failed due toviability constraints or unpopular masterplans beingrejected by residents.

Key features� The Council as the developer set the brief foran exemplary design-led scheme and is closelymanaging the project throughout the designand development process

� Scale – the project will deliver 925 new homes� Timber frame – phase 1 (Bridport House) isone of the largest cross-laminated timber framebuildings in the world

� Public realm focus – streets and public spacesare a priority in the design and are seen as keyto the success of the new neighbourhood

� The two tall buildings in Phase 3 are designedto connect with the public realm and have acivic presence at ground floor – with theCouncil retaining management of retail space

� Detailed design; close attention has been paidto details often neglected, such as the design ofstorage and utility areas, communal entrancelobbies, and the defensible space edging streets

� Extensive consultation

ChallengesOver many decades the inward looking nature ofthe Colville Estate has disconnected it from thesurrounding neighbourhoods of Hoxton, DeBeauvoir, the Regent’s Canal and Shoreditch.Theexisting layout deters pedestrian movement,discouraging use of the area.The regenerationproject now under way aims to simultaneously buildnew homes by increasing the residential density andresolve these historic problems.

Is there a resident community and is itcooperative?In the early 2000s, a series of regenerationmasterplans (some Hackney Council-led, some

27

05 COLVILLE ESTATELondon Borough of Hackney

Development partner LB Hackney



Density uplift (%) 111.2, phase 1A 105

Housing manager Hackney Homes

28

developer-led) were proposed, but stalled either dueto lack of viability, unworkable phasing, or becausethey were rejected by residents. By contrast, thecurrent regeneration has been characterised by ahigh level of community engagement and extensiveinput from a resident steering group. It has beenessential to adopt a highly collaborative way ofworking with residents in order to fuel consensusand move the project forward.

Regular meetings are held with residents todetermine the brief, discuss funding issues andinvolve the residents in an iterative design process.A common sense, hands-on design approach hasproved successful. Residents have been presentedwith clear designs, large and easy to understandmodels were displayed at public exhibitions, and thevast majority of the local community becamesupportive of the regeneration project.

What is the design response?The first phase of the project consists of BridportHouse, a residential block completed in 2011.Bridport House has provided 41 new homes forsocial rent, which have been used as replacementhomes for people to move into from elsewhere onthe estate, enabling the larger scale new buildprogramme to begin. The building uses cross-laminated timber as the main material rather than aconcrete frame.Timber panel construction waschosen to overcome the weight restrictions on thesite, which sits above one of London’s main drainagetunnels.At the time of writing (January 2015)Bridport House was one of the largest buildings inthe world to have used this construction technology.Phase 2 will consist of three nine storey buildingsdesigned as a family and containing 209 homes; 54%for social rent, 16% shared ownership and 30% formarket sale (by habitable room). One of thebuildings will contain a new community centre and anew energy centre which will supply a districtheating network.

The new buildings’ orientation will minimise the lossof daylight and sunlight to neighbouring buildings andenable all of the apartments inside to be dual-aspect,with generous views over the nearby park and canal.Each building has its own shared garden – either in acourtyard or on a raised podium. Care has beentaken to design and specify details that arefrequently neglected in new housing developments –such as communal entrances, defensible space,storage/utility cupboards, kitchen layouts and bin

stores.This detail has been included in the planningconsent and tender package to safeguard it inconstruction.The public realm across the estate hasbeen designed as a series of streets that seamlesslyconnect with the surrounding townscape –encouraging people to walk and cycle through.Thematerials palate has been selected to be similar tothose found on a conventional London street.Informal play areas, community gardens and seatingareas have been integrated into the new streets toencourage a sociable and diverse street life. At thetime of writing, the construction of Phases 2 andthen 3 of the Colville regeneration project areexpected to commence in 2015.

What role is the Council playing?The Council, in partnership with local residents, hasbeen the driving force behind the regenerationproject throughout. Officers and councillors havemaintained a close working relationship with localstakeholders as part of this approach.The Councilwill work with contractors and developmentpartners on a plot by plot basis as the phases comeforward to continue this strategy.

The Council has negotiated the acquisition of mostof the leasehold and freehold properties that mustbe vacated to enable construction of Phases 2 and 3of the project, and the Secretary of State forCommunities and Local Government also confirmeda CPO for the sites in November 2014 following apublic inquiry.

How is the project being funded?The project is being funded as part of HackneyCouncil’s 2,760-home, borough-wide estateregeneration programme, which has been runningsince 2011 (seeThe Hackney Approach on page 13) Im

ages

:Kar

akus

evic

Car

son

Arc

hite

cts

1 & 2:The new Bridgport House; 3: Site model;4: Site view; 5: new Branch Place

29

What is the procurement route?Phase 2 will be built out through a DevelopmentAgreement between Hackney Council and a partnercontractor/developer.The proposals will betendered at RIBA Stage D+ to ensure design qualityis locked into the proposals. Under the Agreement,the homes for social renting and shared ownershipwill be handed back to the Council on completion.Phase 3 will be procured separately.

What is the long-term ownership andmanagement strategy?The Council will retain the freehold for the entiresite as well as being responsible for its ongoingmaintenance and management.The Council seesthe quality of public space as critical to the successof the project and, for this reason, is ensuring itretains control of the estate’s long-termmanagement strategy.

1

2

3

5 4

30

This project to transform the Copley Close estatein the London Borough of Ealing will refurbish morethan 550 existing homes and create 205 infill homesand new public realm.The first phase ofrefurbishment works began in June 2013 following ashort period of six months’ design work andintensive consultation with residents since 2009.Thefirst new build homes are due to be completed inthe summer of 2015. By 2019, Copley Close willbecome a mixed tenure development withaffordable housing for council tenants genuinelypepper-potted in amongst private sale, market rent,shared ownership and affordable rent units.

As of January 2015, the Copley Close estatecomprised 636 homes.Most are one- and two-bedroom flats, plus 24 houses and a sheltered scheme.The estate is built over a railway line on a narrow 1kmlong site. It is typical of 1970s housing estates in that itconsists of long, high-level walkways and numerousparking undercrofts, none of which are secure.

Key features� Close working with the community� Use of sale and rent at market and submarketlevels to help make the business plan viable andthe housing economically accessible to localpeople

� Reduced carbon footprint by improving themajority of the existing buildings without theneed for major demolition

� Council-led development with new council-owned company (Broadway Living) establishedto secure part of the finance for the project

� Council has set up an ‘in house’ mixed tenuremanagement team that will see servicesimproved for residents

ChallengesThe problems with the estate are three-fold:some of the buildings have been found to bestructurally unsound and require demolition;there is poor security, with various public accessroutes through the estate and many areas (such asthrough the underground parking crofts) which arenot overlooked; andthe poor design of the estate means that it is isolatedfrom the surrounding neighbourhood.The purpose ofthe regeneration is to resolve these issues andgenerally improve the quality of the area.

Is there a resident community and is itcooperative?The Council has consulted extensively with localresidents offering them the chance to input majordecisions about the design, public realm and brandingfor the new neighbourhood. Following a publicmeeting in November 2011 the Council made acommitment to finding a solution for Copley Close.Consultation drop-ins followed in December 2011 toget input on play spaces, the community centre, newsecurity measures and environmental works.Theregeneration team has since worked from an on-siteoffice, continuously updating residents. Consultationrevealed that residents feel a sense of belonging toCopley Close, despite its physical problems.Theydon’t want to lose its identity. In response, the estatewill be split into five neighbourhoods with names that

What is the procurement route?Phase 2 will be built out through a DevelopmentAgreement between Hackney Council and a partnercontractor/developer.The proposals will be tenderedat RIBA Stage D+ to ensure design quality is lockedinto the proposals. Under theAgreement, the homes

06 COPLEY CLOSELondon Borough of Ealing

Development partner LB Ealing

Architect/design HTA Design LLP, Hunters Ltd architects



Housing manager LB Ealing

31

for social renting and shared ownership will behanded back to the Council on completion. Phase 3will be procured separately.

What is the long-term ownership andmanagement strategy?The Council will retain the freehold for the entiresite as well as being responsible for its ongoingmaintenance and management.The Council sees thequality of public space as critical to the success of theproject and for this reason is ensuring it retainscontrol of its long-term management.

indicate location in the neighbourhood. The estatehas now been rebranded with the name Copley,HanwellW7.

What is the design response?The new design aims to humanize the builtenvironment and improve the estate (as far as ispossible) to modern standards.At ground level, someone bed flats will be joined together to create twoand three bed family flats; front-door access will beswitched from the back to the front, thereby drivingactivity and pedestrian traffic to the main street andcreating private outside space to the rear.

The scheme will introduce infill blocks to eliminateblank facades, normalise the street pattern andprovide natural surveillance of all pedestrian routesand at key junctures. The parking undercrofts will becovered by a podium deck, connecting homes directlyto the street and increasing amenity space; the car Im

ages

:Hun

ters

Arc

hite

cts

1,2,3: Street and block views of the proposed scheme

1 2

3

parking areas themselves will be secured to preventpublic access.The higher level walkways will be closedup with secure gates and CCTV. At the middle of thesite, where some buildings need to be demolished,there is an opportunity to build higher next to thestation. A new public square will be created and thenew accommodation in this area will mostly comprisesmaller flats for private rent as well as largeraffordable homes. Existing retail facilities will bemaintained throughout the regeneration works.

What role is the Council playing?LB Ealing is acting as developer for the scheme.TheCouncil also successfully negotiated the purchase ofall the freehold units on the estate, avoiding the needfor a CPO.

How is the project being funded?The estate is already relatively dense,making itdifficult to add much more housing (the final netaddition will be just 120 units). Cross-subsidy models,which rely heavily on increasing density and capitalreturns from selling private units, were consequentlyunsuitable. Instead, a 30-year business plan has beenestablished,which relies in large part on futureincome from rents; approximately 10-20% of the unitswill be let at market rent level. As developer, LBEaling does not need to seek a 15% to 20% profitwithin 5 years; taking this out of the equation hasenabled a robust appraisal to be put together relyingon long-term revenue returns.

What is the procurement route?It was originally intended to outsource theregeneration to developers or housing associations.

However Network Rail leases the majority of theland to LB Ealing meaning demolition works wouldrequire agreement with Network Rail; it becameapparent that neither developers nor housingassociations were willing to take on this risk. LBEaling is, therefore, acting as developer; it appointedarchitects, agreed the design with the community andsecured planning permission, all within 12 months.LB Ealing has since directly procured the constructionand refurbishment works, which were split into twotenders.The first was budgeted under thecompulsory OJEU threshold, which was then £4.29m.This allowed firms to be appointed and start veryquickly; refurbishment began within 6 months of thetender being publicised.

What is the long-term ownership andmanagement strategy?The council will own and manage Copley Close.Thenewly formed council owned company BroadwayLiving will be established to own and manage theprivate market and sub-market rent properties acrossthe regenerated estate.Overall, Copley Close willeventually comprise around 65% affordable housing.The estate will be tenure-blind both inside and out;affordable and private units will be decorated andrefurbished to the same standard. Tenures will not besegregated by blocks or cores and will receive equalmanagement.

32

The estate before regeneration

Using a CoCoA CoCo is Council-owned company able to‘lever in’ additional finance over and abovethe HRA borrowing cap. It acts as analternative delivery vehicle to the HousingRevenueAccount (HRA), enabling increasedinvestment in new housing by a localauthority. Schemes brought forward in thisway must be creditworthy and carefullyplanned; should budgetary forecasts proveincorrect, financial risk falls upon the localauthority.Developments under thejurisdiction of a CoCo need to demonstratethat all costs such as tax (includingVAT),finance, procurement, legal, governance, andday-to-day overheads are estimated correctly.Local authorities cannot make loans toCoCos at a preferential rate in order tosubsidise them against market competition.CoCo homes are unaffected by Right to Buylegislation.

33

The Council hopes to transform DollisValley into avibrant neighbourhood with a distinctive character,whilst respecting the suburban location of the site.The DollisValley regeneration also seeks toreconnect the site with the surrounding area andlocal amenities. Countryside, the developmentpartner, secured planning permission to redevelop theDollisValley estate in June 2013.

The proposals include demolition of the existingestate and construction of a high quality mixed tenuredevelopment of up to 631 new family homes.Thenew development will consist of new homes foraffordable rent, shared equity and private sale.Construction commenced in March 2014.The 10.8ha

DollisValley estate lies close to High Barnet, the laststation on the Northern Line.The estate is on asouth facing slope and originally consisted of 436homes (most accommodated in five-storey blocks ofconcrete construction), a junior school, a parade ofretail units and three community centres.Thesurrounding area is characterised by traditionalsuburban housing with views across the adjacentgreen belt.There are a number of listed buildings,conservation areas and attractive countryside parksclose to the site.

Key features� New family-sized homes will be provided,whichare desperately needed due to the demographicsof the local population

� More low-key architecture will better suit thelush and green suburban context

� Homes built to a high standard of environmentalsustainability

ChallengesThere are a variety of issues being addressed by thisscheme:

� poorly defined open space offering low amenityvalue;

� the density is relatively low at 43 dwellings perhectare;

� the dominance of flats does not suit localdemographics as young families in Barnet tend toprefer houses;

� the estate integrates poorly with thesurrounding suburban area, as it has only oneentrance and lacks through routes; and,

� the blocks’ harsh concrete vernacular sits poorlyin the suburban surroundings.

Is there a resident community and is itcooperative?The Council procured an independent advisor tosupport the residents in setting up a steering group,which advocated for residents during the productionof a development brief by the Council.

Three developers were shortlisted in early 2011 todiscuss initial proposals with residents. InAugust 2011all three submitted proposals on the basis of eitherredeveloping the entire estate or rebuilding theflatted blocks at the northern end and renovating thelow rise blocks (mainly leasehold or freehold) at thesouthern end.The plans were exhibited on the estatefor residents prior to the selection of a developmentpartner. Countryside was selected as preferreddevelopment partner in October 2011.

Once the development partner was selected, theystaged pre-application public exhibitions and workedclosely with the DollisValley Partnership Board,which

07 DOLLISVALLEYLondon Borough of Barnet

Development partner Countryside Properties

Architect/design Alison Brooks Architects



Housing manager L&Q

34

is made up of tenants, leaseholders, the LondonBorough of Barnet, Barnet Homes, the developer, andthe registered affordable housing provider for theproject.Additional meetings were also held with thelocal nursery school operator, the community centreoperators and residents of adjacent streets.

What is the design response?The masterplan is based on the idea of reconnectingthe estate physically, socially and environmentally tothe wider Underhill neighbourhood.More pedestrianand vehicular movement will be encouraged throughthe site.Density will increase to 58 dwellings perhectare and the units will be a mix of one, two, threeand four bedroom with more houses (322) thanapartments (309).A new layout will maximise legibilityand permeability for pedestrians by establishing asimple grid street pattern and linking paths and roadsclearly to local landmarks. Large areas of tarmac willbe transformed into attractive public spaces includingtwo new parks and a garden square.There will also bea significant increase in private and semi-privateamenity space,which is almost nonexistent at present,

including communal gardens on podium decks.A newcommunity centre and nursery facility will be visibleto the wider neighborhood as a symbol of theregeneration.

The housing has been designed in a range of typesand sizes to meet local need and fit moreappropriately into the suburban context. The schemedesign is a modern and sustainable interpretation of atraditional London ‘Garden Suburb’. It includes avariety of measures to reduce carbon emissions suchas rainwater harvesting, increasing local biodiversityand support for community recycling.

What role is the Council playing?The Council oversaw the early stages of the project,liaising with the community, procuring design,achieving planning permission and then procuring adevelopment partner. The Council has facilitated landassembly for the regeneration project; this hasrequired the use of a CPO for non-Council ownedproperties; this was confirmed in June 2014 with noobjections from the public.

Imag

es:A

lison

Broo

ksA

rchi

tect

s

1 2

3

35

The Council is responsible for managing the transferof existing tenants from Barnet Homes, the Council’sArms Length Management Organisation, to the newaffordable homes in DollisValley.

How is the project being funded?The scheme is made viable through cross-subsidyfrom the sale of the private homes.Around 40% ofthe new replacement dwellings will be affordable,representing a minimum of 250 units.This willcomprise a split of 230 units for social rent and 20intermediate.A further 381 units will be provided formarket sale, 60% of which will be houses.

What is the procurement route?Countryside was selected as the developmentpartner through an OJEU process.The proposeddevelopment is governed by a Principal DevelopmentAgreement (PDA),which the Council has enteredinto with Countryside Properties (as developer of

the private housing) and L&Q (as provider of theaffordable housing).

What is the long-term ownership andmanagement strategy?Countryside and L&Q will agree a management planfor the entire estate with the Council.The hope isthat management can be administeredthrough the DollisValley Partnership Board.

1,2 &3: Proposed street views and site layout;4: Proposed new blocks; 5: existing estste; 6: view fromPark Up Hill

4 5

6

36

Hallsville Quarter is one of the first phases ofregeneration activity in the CanningTown andCustom House masterplan, a huge regenerationprogramme, which covers approximately 120ha.

Hallsville Quarter will comprise 1,130 newdwellings, 10,500m2 employment floorspace,31,700m2 retail floorspace, a 200 room hotel,12,000m2 student accommodation, 1,150underground parking spaces, and communityfacilities.The residential density is approximately 191dwe/ha. Construction will take place over fivephases. Phase 1 will complete in spring 2015, Phase 2in mid 2017 and the whole development in 2024.

Key features� Creation of a new, fully mixed use town centrephysically connected to the traditional highstreet

� Provision of new green spaces, resident-onlygardens, and private ‘sky gardens’

� A single,‘tenure blind’ approach to managementand operations

� Part of a much larger regeneration programme,for which a dedicated procurement programmehas been established

� ATown Centre Design Code has been includedin the development and planning agreements

Challenges� Hallsville Quarter will become a major part ofan expanded town centre

� Adjacent to CanningTown station, it will exploitopportunities created by the significantimprovements to public transport and walkingand cycling routes in this area over the lastdecade and connect to long-standing and new

retail facilities on the high street (Barking Road)including a revitalised historic Rathbone Market

Is there a resident community and is itcooperative?Much of the land being used for this scheme has beenvacated for a number of years, though a number ofproperties located on land earmarked for futurephases remain occupied.The broader communityacross CanningTown have been engaged andconsulted on the proposals for theTown Centre siteover the past decade.

The site assembly and tenant decant caused someearly hostility, as the potential loss of establishedcommunities was a concern for residents. However,people have since reacted positively to news that aMorrisons food store will be delivered in the firstphase, helping to address the relatively limited retailoffer in the area and provide local employmentopportunities.

A Residents’ Charter adopted at the same time asthe CanningTown masterplan (see below) ensures a‘right to return’ for existing residents and establishesstrict procedures for purchasing property fromfreeholders and leaseholders, as well as decantingtenants. It also establishes requirements forconsultation with the community.

For Hallsville Quarter, aTown Centre Design Groupmade up of local residents meets periodically withBouygues Development, the developer of HallsvilleQuarter, and their design team.

In the period between the demolition of formerproperties and the construction of new buildings,

08 HALLSVILLE QUARTERLondon Borough of Newham

Imag

e:H

awor

thTo

mpk

ins

Development partner Bouygues Development

Architect/design Haworth Tompkins



Housing manager One Housing Group

37

vacant sites have been used positively for a range ofinterim uses. Local residents have participated inprojects and events on these meanwhile use sites.

What is the design response?The project’s aim is to create a new high-densitytown centre with a mix of uses – retail, food andbeverage, leisure and community facilities – at groundlevel, with residential units above and secure parkingbelow ground. It represents a harnessing of newtransport infrastructure adjacent to the town centre

to make better use of the land, deliver a largequantum of new housing and begin to changeperceptions about CanningTown as an area.All open areas at ground level will be streets andpublic open space, set out so as to enable a vibrantretail and evening economy. Podium decks sittingabove the retail and commercial uses will providecommunal amenity space for residents.A new

1 & 2. New blocks under construction; 3. Balconydetail on corner block

1

2 3

Imag

es:H

awor

thTo

mpk

ins

38

Imag

e:A

ecom

pedestrian route and event space will be createdunder theA13, improving the connection fromCanningTown Station to Rathbone Market andBarking Road. Pedestrian routes have been createdto improve permeability through the site andconnectivity to transport nodes. TheTown CentreDesign Code has been locked into the developmentand planning agreements; this goes into detail onissues such as windows, facades,materials, shopfronts,and signage. Phase 1 of the Hallsville Quarterconsists of an anchor food store with 179 residentialunits above and a podium garden, approximately thesize of a football pitch. The latter will provide playspace, allotments and an outdoor gym for residents ofthe new homes.The presence of theA13 has createdparticular design challenges; residential units arecarefully screened to minimise air pollution and noise.Over 200 new Phase 2 homes will share thisresidents-only garden with the Phase 1 residents. Thescheme was reviewed a number of times by the LBNewham Design Review Panel during the course ofthe planning process.

What role is the Council playing?In 2008, LB Newham adopted a masterplan as an SPDfor the entire CanningTown and Custom House area,which allocated land uses and sites forredevelopment. Its overall aim is to reducedeprivation by introducing new residential andcommercial development, improving legibility andpermeability across the area, and improving linkageswith existing and forthcoming public transport nodes.The wider masterplan is predicated on maintainingthe same absolute number of social housing units.However, with increasing density over the wholearea, this will mean the tenure balance will change,moving from an approximate 70/30% split betweensocial and private housing towards a 50/50% split.The tenure split of Hallsville Quarter will be 35%affordable and 65% private, which the Councilconsiders appropriate in the new town centre.

How is the project being funded?Bouygues Development as development partner isentirely responsible for securing investment andfunding to deliver the scheme. They are responsiblefor securing investors for the residential andcommercial elements of the scheme, and also forsecuring pre-lets for the commercial space. Significantpublic funding was provided in the early stages of thescheme to assemble the land and buy back the flatsand houses, and the Council receives a receipt for its

land interest and also has its costs funded as part ofthe development.Newham also has nominationsrights for the affordable rented units on the scheme.

What is the procurement route?Through an OJEU process, LB Newham formed andappointed a panel of development partners for thewider CanningTown and Custom House masterplanarea at the same time as adopting the widermasterplan for CanningTown. These developmentpartners have competed for individual schemes, suchas the Hallsville Quarter, without the need for arepeat full OJEU process. In this case, BouyguesDevelopment was selected.

What is the long-term ownership andmanagement strategy?The Council will retain the freehold. A long leaseholdwill be taken by the developer and sub-leases will becreated for tenants and occupiers. There will be asingle estate management company created for thewhole area with both the Council and BouyguesDevelopment on the management board.Once Hallsville Quarter has been completed,Bouygues will withdraw from involvement in themanagement board and be replaced by investors,residents and other stakeholders.

Masterplan detail

3

Highmead is a former council tower block which hasbeen emptied and demolished and is now beingredeveloped in a project designed to kickstart theregeneration of the local area,Angel Edmonton.

In December 2012 Enfield Council approved aplanning permission for the Highmead site, whichwill provide 118 mixed tenure homes consisting of22 houses for affordable rent (with 2 wheelchairaccess), 25 flats for intermediate rent and 71 flats

for private sale.The scheme also includesapproximately 1,000 square metres of newcommercial space, a GP health centre and acommunity building. It has been short listed for anational housing design award. Construction beganin summer 2013 and completion is anticipated insummer 2015.

Highmead was formerly a poorly designed 11-storeyresidential block sitting over (and perpendicular to)a parade of shops. The slab block, which had a blankgable end facing onto the high street, becamesusceptible to crime and fell into disrepair.

There is an opportunity to improve this end ofAngel Edmonton High Street, to deliver morehousing and to create a better environment, facilitiesand amenity for the local community. LB Enfieldhopes the scheme will lift aspirations amongst localpeople and improve perceptions of theneighbourhood.

Key features� Transformative for the area, involvingdemolition of a long-standing eye-sore

� Required acquisition of a parade of shops� Council obtained planning permission and thensold to a development partner

ChallengesThere are a variety of issues being addressed by thisscheme:

� Poorly designed and configured buildings, whichare susceptible to crime;

� Buildings have fallen into disrepair because theyare unaffordable to maintain;

39

Imag

es:H

awki

nsBr

own

09 HIGHMEADLondon Borough of Enfield

Development partner Countryside Properties

Architect/design Hawkins Brown


Density uplift (%) 57

Housing manager Newlon Housing Trust

Building under construction

40

� Parade of shops, which do not meet modernretail needs; and

� Lack of built enclosure and poor surveillance ofpublic space that promotes criminal and anti-social behaviour and creates an unsafeenvironment.

Is there a resident community and is itcooperative?Despite the nature of the buildings, the shops werestill highly active. However16 shop owners had to bedecanted, as it would have been impractical for themto stop trading while the replacement developmentwas built.They were offered alternative Council-owned premises on the same street, and grants toupgrade their shop fronts.

The Council engaged the local community prior toand during the planning process.The inclusion of anew GP surgery proved popular with residents.

What is the design response?A mixed use redevelopment scheme has beendesigned to improve the relationship between the

high street in front of Highmead and the suburbanterraces to the rear, comprising new residential, retailand community space and a health centre.The new retail parade will accommodate a range oftraders with one larger unit for a supermarket. Therewill be smaller residential units over the shops. In theplace of garages and unsecured areas to the rear,there will be a new terrace of houses, each designedto be subtly distinguishable from its immediateneighbours.

1

2

New back gardens will abut existing back gardens,creating a better street pattern.A new shared surfacemews will be created at the centre of the scheme toinclude a community garden and play area. A newcommunity centre will look onto this mews from thesouthern end, improving surveillance.

What role is the Council playing?LB Enfield contributed £1m up front to fund vacantpossession of the site and demolition.This de-riskedthe scheme for development partners. Architectswere appointed by the Council to draw up plans andobtain a planning permission. Only after detailedplanning consent had been obtained was adevelopment partner procured.

How is the project being funded?All costs to the Council are being recovered throughsale of the land freehold to the developer. An overagearrangement (a ‘clawback’ clause in the contract givingthe Council the right to some of the profit made bythe scheme) is included in the developmentagreement.The Council also receives a newcommunity centre.To attract new residents, thetenure mix favours shared ownership, intermediaterent and private sale, 50% of units will be homes for

families. This helps the funding of the scheme throughcross-subsidy, but is also an intentional strategy tocreate a more balanced community.

What is the procurement route?Flexible criteria (including the tenure split) at thetender stage encouraged bidders to price up andsubmit a range of options. Procurement was thenjudged on cost, transfer of financial risk from theCouncil, and a track record of delivering schemes ontime. To help ensure design quality of the finalscheme, it was a requirement of the tender that theoriginal architects be novated across to the successfuldeveloper.

What is the long-term ownership andmanagement strategy?The freehold has been purchased from the Councilby Countryside Properties as part of thedevelopment agreement.The new development willbe managed by Newlon HousingTrust who, as theRegistered Provider, is delivering the affordablehousing. It was important to the Council for there tobe a single management regime to prevent the privateand affordable homes being managed to differentstandards.

41

1: Existing retail and blocks; 2; Proposed scheme; 3: aeriel view of priposd scheme

3

42

Kings Crescent is an ambitious regeneration projectbeing undertaken by Hackney Council as part of itsEstate Regeneration Programme.The comprehensiveredevelopment of this 1970s housing estate aims tobuild a new neighbourhood by refurbishing existingblocks, building new homes and reintegrating theestate with the surrounding streets.A total of 490new homes will be built on a cleared site in thecentre of the estate, including 194 Council homes forsocial renting and shared ownership. In addition to thenew build, 275 existing homes will be refurbished.Themasterplan was granted planning permission in 2013,with Phase 1 gaining full planning consent and Phase 2outline consent. Construction of the new homesbegan in early 2015.

The existing estate has an inward looking layout and anumber of existing blocks that would benefit fromrefurbishment.The proposals consist of a series ofwell-defined courtyard blocks on new streets andopen spaces which connect the new buildings withthe existing blocks and the adjacent Clissold Park.

Key features� The Council as the developer set the brief for anexemplary design-led scheme and is closelymanaging the project throughout the design anddevelopment process

� Public realm focus – the design process hasprioritised the transformation of the streets,squares and shared gardens on the estate

� Integration - the design aims to integrate thenew blocks with the existing blocks and build anew neighbourhood that has an equal level ofquality across the estate.The design also aims toreintegrate the estate with surrounding streets

� Transformative refurbishment – the strong

qualities of the existing blocks are beingenhanced through a comprehensiverefurbishment programme

� Detailed design - close attention has been paidto details often neglected, such as the design ofstorage and utility areas, communal entrancelobbies, and the defensible space edging newstreets

ChallengesThe Council’s objective is to build new homes forsocial renting, shared ownership and private sale andto refurbish existing homes. In addition, the Councilaims to build a well-designed public realm connectingwith surrounding streets.

Is there a resident community and is it co-operative?The regeneration started with an intensiveprogramme of resident engagement to clarify thecommunity’s aspirations for a new neighbourhoodand to understand the issues that affect the estate inits current form. Local ward Councillors also play akey role in the regular resident steering groupmeetings and at consultation events.

By delivering part of the public realm proposals earlyand during the design process, the Council and designteam were able to build trust with residents that thisambitious, long-term project would proceed.Residents were particularly involved in thedevelopment of refurbishment proposals - developingdesigns for winter gardens and improved-accesswalkways.The strength of the existing communityspirit was evident in the established and successfulcommunity orchard on the estate.This became acentral part of the public realm proposals.

10 KINGS CRESCENTLondon Borough of Hackney

Development partner LB Hackney

Architect/design Karakusevic Carson Architects, Henley Halebrown Rorrison, Muf Architecture Art



Housing manager Hackney Homes

43

The Kings Crescent Pocket Park

An underutilised space on the perimeter ofthe estate has been transformed into acommunal pocket park and front garden forKings Crescent.This early pilot project, inadvance of the implementation of the moreextensive regeneration proposals,wasdeveloped in close co-operation withresidents.This helped the Council build alevel of trust and demonstrated the team’scommitment to delivering the regenerationproject to a high level of quality.

The design comprises of simple elementsthat are sensitive to the garden's setting:the multi-storey housing blocks, theVictorian terraced housing, and the greencorridor leading towards Clissold Park.

The scheme won a bid for part-fundingfrom the Greater LondonAuthority'sPocket Park programme, and theremainder was funded by HackneyCouncil's Estate Regeneration Programme.

What is the design response?The masterplan approach is to reintegrate the estatewith the surrounding townscape ofVictorian streets,by creating a series of courtyard blocks from new andexisting buildings.A series of well-defined andoverlooked streets and public spaces will beconnected through the site.

The public realm has been designed as a traditionaland recognisable streetscape using the same materialspalate as a London street.Natural surveillance fromnew ground floor homes and a considered lightingstrategy ensures the scheme goes beyond secured bydesign standards.There will also be attractive andinviting open space around the estate’s perimeter, tostitch it into the surrounding streets.

The refurbishment of existing blocks aims tosignificantly improve the quality of environment forresidents.New balconies and winter gardens areprovided for all existing homes with new roofsimproving their thermal performance and reducingheating bills. Existing entrance walkways are widenednext to front doors - inviting occupation by residentsand facilitating interaction between neighbours. Streetlevel garages are replaced with new ground floorresidential units creating active frontages.

The three new blocks have been designed to respondto the strong massing of the existing buildings as wellas the surrounding late-Victorian context. High qualitybrick materials with considered detailing ensure thenew blocks sit comfortably in their context and allowthem to age gracefully over time. Smaller-scalemasonry and precast concrete elements bring ahuman scale to the buildings, along with softermaterials such as solid timber doors.

What role is the Council playing?The Council prepared a detailed design brief for theproject and developed a process that prioritisesdesign at every stage.A multi-disciplinary design teamled by Karakusevic Carson Architects was appointedto prepare the masterplan and undertake the detaileddesign for the first two phases of the scheme.TheCouncil gave the public realm and the buildings equalpriority, reflected in the decision to appoint publicrealm designers as well as architects at the outset,and with equal input into the project.

The design work was progressed to RIBA Stage Ebefore submission. Key features like the externalmaterials and detailing are now locked into the Im

ages

:Poc

ket

Par

byG

rant

Smith

scheme thanks to highly detailed planning consents.The Council retains control over the design andquality of this regeneration project throughout thedevelopment process.Once it is completed, theCouncil will continue to manage and maintain theexisting and newly-built properties, of all tenures, intothe future.

How is the project being funded?The project is being funded as part of HackneyCouncil’s 2,760-home, borough-wide estateregeneration programme,which has been runningsince 2011.This means the Council treats all of itsprojects as part of a wider portfolio, enabling theregeneration of multiple estates across the borough.These vary from small sites to complex estateregeneration projects, of which Kings Crescent is oneof the largest. Cross-subsidy from homes for privatesale at Kings Crescent will also be supplemented bysurpluses generated on other schemes within theportfolio elsewhere in Hackney.This should allow theKings Crescent project to be delivered without theneed for additional funding from central governmentor other sources.

What is the procurement route?The project is being built out through a bespokeDevelopmentAgreement between Hackney Counciland a partner contractor/developer.The proposalswere tendered at RIBA Stage E to ensure designquality was locked into the proposals. Under theAgreement, the homes for social renting and sharedownership will be handed back to the Council oncompletion,while the private sale housing will bedelivered and sold by the development partner on aleasehold basis.

What is the long-term ownership andmanagement strategy?The Council will retain the freehold for the entiresite as well as being responsible for its ongoingmaintenance and management.The Council sees thequality of public space as critical to the success of theproject and for this reason is ensuring it retainscontrol of its long-term management.

The proposed scheme viewed from the park

Imag

e:Ka

raku

sevi

cC

arso

nA

rchi

tect

s

The Myatts Field North estate in Lambeth is beingcompletely remodelled to make a better qualityresidential area within Lambeth, providing a betterconnected,more welcoming and greenerenvironment.The existing estate will be largelydemolished to provide approximately double thenumber of homes. The project is one of the fewexamples of a housing Private Finance Initiative.Construction has commenced; at January 2015 it isaround a third built and will be entirely completed by2017.The original Myatts Field North Estate wasdesigned by Lambeth Council architects andconstructed in the mid 1970s; it covers an area of12.4 hectares.

The estate formerly contained 477 homes, acommunity centre, a pharmacy and convenienceshops. A health centre, which was not part of theexisting estate, was included in the regenerationproject.At commencement of the regenerationproject, 100 of the residences were leasehold orfreehold and the rest social rent.Mostyn Gardens, alarge green space at its centre, contained a footballpitch and a series of man made undulating mounds,which meant that the space was essentially unusable,hidden from view and susceptible to significant anti-social behaviour.

The estate’s original blocks were long and narrow,three to four storeys high, and built aboveunderground garages.They were linked by elevatedwalkways and had never been properly refurbished.

Key features� Private Finance Initiative project� Major transformation of area, including provisionof a new public park

ChallengesThe objective is to create a high quality new urbanquarter.The old layout of the existing estate wasconfusing and dangerous. Core problems were:

� high tenant turnover;� high maintenance costs;� garages sealed off for 20 years;� hard to supervise external spaces increasingcrime and fear of crime;

� seriousASB, particularly gang-related crime.

Is there a resident community and is itcooperative?Residents from the estate’sTenants ManagementOrganisation were involved from the outset.Residents sat as members of the PFI Project Board,which is a sub-committee of the Council.

The PFI Project Board reviewed bids and contributedto the final scoring for the PFI competition. AResidents’ Forum has also worked to ensure that allresidents were able to take part in the consultation.The Council funded an independent adviser for theresidents throughout the bid phase of the project.Residents are now part of monitoring the delivery ofthe PFI and a community organization will deliverservices from the new community centre.

What is the design response?In response to the issues with the existing estate, theregeneration masterplan seeks to organise the estateinto a clear, safe place and to create a newneighbourhood integrated with the surrounding area.The brief developed by LB Lambeth for the siterequired:

� A clear and legible hierarchy of roads, streets,paths and cycle-ways.

45

11 MYATTS FIELD NORTHLondon Borough of Lambeth

Development partner Regenter

Architect/design PRP Architects



Housing manager Regenter

46

� A new accessible movement network that is wellconnected and fully integrated into thesurrounding street and movement network.

� Safe and secure streets with a positive anddistinctive character where pedestrians takepriority over vehicles.

� Full accessibility to the proposed communityfacilities for all the community.

The masterplan consists of buildings ranging from oneto six storeys in height, arranged around a moretraditional street pattern. It contains a highproportion of family dwellings with gardens.Tallerbuildings along park edges enable natural surveillanceof the public communal areas, which were previouslyunmonitored and intimidating.

The new development will involve just over doublethe number of dwellings. 305 existing units will bedemolished and 172 refurbished. 808 new homes willbe constructed including 305 direct replacementhomes and 146 new affordable homes. Because mostof the social rent and shared ownership properties inthe new development will be the larger, family-sizedunits, the final proportion of affordable housing acrossthe entire site will be 60% (by habitable room).

Some of the new homes include stacked maisonettes,which combine two storey houses on top of oneanother and enable four storey blocks to be providedfor residential use without the need for lifts. Groupsof the houses will share communal recycling andwaste storage canisters embedded under the street.Re-provision of the estate’s old health centre wasfacilitated by a land swap between the NHS and theCouncil for a plot to the east of the site, where thenew health centre has been built.A new park willreplace Mostyn Gardens, which includes sports areasand the replacement, landmark community centre.

What role is the Council playing?LB Lambeth initially undertook an appraisal of theestate to investigate how the housing stock could beupgraded to meet the Decent Homes standard.Thisrevealed significant design and maintenance issues.From 2004 the Council chose to pursue a PFI-fundedregeneration scheme involving demolition of theproperties in worst condition to be replaced withnew build, and reconfiguration of the estate toprovide new homes and more usable open space.The Council played a key role in land assembly bydelivering vacant possession of the site through CPO,

1: New blocks at Fitzpatrick Road; 2: Ariel plan view;3 & 4: New blocks and homes with gardens;5: Construction phase

1

2

3

47

and produced a detailed development brief for thePFI competition in the form of a masterplan that theCouncil commissioned and published.The latter wasalso locked in through an outline planning consent.

In 2007 the Council enacted a CPO covering 52leaseholders and 6 freeholders whose homes had tobe demolished as part of the project.Of the 58property owners, 38 agreed to take a replacementproperty or sell outside of the CPO process. 20 wereeventually compensated via CPO with approximately£4.2m paid out in total. Ultimately the CPO wasconfirmed unopposed.At the time it was the largestHousingAct CPO to receive no statutory objectionsfrom residents.

How is the project being funded?The project is primarily being funded by means of aPFI, whereby the selected development partner isproviding the capital to carry out the works, to build,

improve,manage and maintain the estate. Thedeveloper is recouping a large proportion of thecosts through sale of private units, the remainder isthen obtained through the on-going agreement withthe Council to manage and maintain the estate,including the affordable housing. In the case of MyattsField North, the PFI contract will run for 25 years.Thereafter, the estate will revert to the Council.

Funding was also obtained pre-PFI under the EstateAction programme for enhancement works to blocksthat were subsequently retained.

What is the long-term ownership andmanagement strategy?Management of the housing becomes theresponsibility of the private sector consortium.Thelocal authority continues to own the housing andretains nomination rights during the contract termand afterwards.

The project is primarily being funded by means of a PFI,whereby the selected development partner is providing thecapital to carry out the works, to build, improve, manage andmaintain the estate

Imag

es:P

RP

Arc

hite

cts

4 5

48

This regeneration project filled a gap in the urbanfabric caused by bomb damage from the SecondWorldWar,which sadly made the PeabodyAvenueestate in Pimlico disjointed and incomplete for severaldecades. From 2010 onwards, the PeabodyTrusthousing association,which owns the estate,conducted a lengthy process of consultation withresidents, planners and the local Council.Thissucceeded in gathering widespread support for 55new flats and improvements to outdoor andcommunity spaces, including a new children’splayground.The new flats and public realm werecompleted in March 2012.

PeabodyAvenue in Pimlico,Westminster, was built inthe late 19th century. It became a ConservationAreain 2000.The estate consists of freestanding blocksarranged around a courtyard, a layout typical ofPeabody developments from the period.Trees at thecentre of its boulevard-like central avenue wereplanted in 1877. Bomb damage during the SecondWorldWar left a large gap in the built fabric at theestate’s southern end,which was replaced by garages,which added little to the environment.

Key features� The scheme was implemented by a housingassociation but received direct funding from LBWestminster to maintain the tenure mix.

� An example of community relations going wrongand then being recovered.

� Successful design solution – with sharedbalconies and short access corridors for smallgroups of residents and wheelchair accessibleflats on the top floor.

ChallengesThe main issues addressed by the scheme were:

� in the early 2000s it was realised that there were70 households in which 1 person was living in afamily home;

� a dilapidated row of garages attracted crime andanti-social behavior.

Is there a resident community and is itcooperative?The first scheme proposed sheltered housing for ex-criminals and recovering addicts, which wasunpopular with local residents, and led to theformation of a tenants association to oppose it.A2,000 signature petition demanded no interventiondespite the old garages and lock-ups attracting crimesuch as drug taking and prostitution.

In response to the opposition, Peabody employed aliaison person who interviewed a sample of residentsto find out how trust had been lost. Emphasis thenshifted to the residents’ opinions and aspirations;

Peabody withdrew from all involvement during thescheme’s early stages and made clear that thefacilitator was working independently.Thereafter,Peabody adopted an open approach, and met theTenantsAssociation to explain why a new schemewas worthwhile, albeit something that met theaspirations of the local residents.

What is the design response?The scheme introduced an L-shaped infill block toterminate neatly the avenue and to provide 55 newresidential units.The avenue remains accessible topedestrians through an open archway,which indicatesa transition between the public street and semi-

12 PEABODYAVENUELondon Borough of Westminster

Development partner Peabody

Architect/design Haworth Tompkins



Housing manager Peabody

49

private courtyard.Views through the archway fromexisting blocks enable natural surveillance of peoplecoming and going.The entrances to the circulationcores lead into generous double-height lobbies, andup to open stairwells, complete withYork stoneflooring and doorways in bright reds, oranges andyellows.All new homes are dual aspect, although atthe back of the blocks facing the railway windowslook over an access walkway and shared balconies.

Materials used throughout the scheme are similar inlook and feel to the older buildings, but deployed witha contemporary twist. The roof and windows of thenew block continue the existing street line at thesame heights.At ground level lost and damaged trees

have been replaced and planting has been added infront of habitable rooms to improve privacy.Thescheme has also introduced new community facilitiesincluding an attractive children’s play area.A memorialgarden,which occupied the bombed part of the site,has been re-provided just outside the new entrance.A new community room provides space for artclasses, babysitting and other activities.

Unlike the majority of regeneration schemes,wheelchair accessible housing is located on the topfloor of the new blocks; the architect felt the view

1 2

3

1: New blocks; 2: Balcony detail; 3:View of newblocks in situ

Imag

e:Si

mon

Kenn

edy

50

Imag

es:

Haw

orth

TTo

mpk

ins,

Philip

Vile

,Sim

onKe

nned

y

should be available to all tenants irrespective ofmobility. Enough lifts serve the units to ensure thosewith access needs can always reach the penthouse flats.

What role is the Council playing?This was a Peabody scheme. LBWestminster wasprimarily the planning authority, but intervened to helpdeliver its desired mix of new housing. Peabody choseto regenerate the estate due to under-occupation ofthe existing units,which meant constructing new 1and 2 bedroom flats which could optimise residencypatterns.This was supported by LBWestminster torelieve pressure on social housing in the area.

How is the project being funded?Peabody originally planned to cross-subsidise thescheme with 18 private sale units. However LB

Westminster was keen for the estate to remain 100%affordable, so injected £1.5m from its own HRA andsuccessfully applied for a £5.5m HCA grant.Thisenabled the private units to become sharedownership units.

What is the procurement route?Standard design and build contract.

What is the long-term ownership andmanagement strategy?Peabody remains the owner and manager of theentire estate.

4: Access to new blocks; 5:View from the railway line;6: New blocks in context; 7: Original blocks

4 5

6 7

In 2006 LB Barking and Dagenham discovered thatbringing the homes at ThamesView East up toDecent Homes standard would cost around £7mand would only extend their life by 10 years.As aresult the Council decided to comprehensivelyredevelop the area. New homes and streets havesince transformed the built environment.

The original 1950s stock has been demolished andreplaced with 276 new homes. Construction for theregeneration project commenced in 2011 and wascompleted in 2014. It was made possible by a newprivate investment model designed to enable socialregeneration.

TheThamesView Estate is located in the south ofLB Barking & Dagenham, approximately 2.7km southeast of Barking town centre.The estate issurrounded by industrial land and buildings on three

sides. It is separated from the main residential areato the north by the A13 and the Barking to Purfleetrailway.The centre of the estate contains shops,community facilities, a library and two schools.

ThamesView East represents the eastern edge ofthe estate and prior to this regeneration projectcomprised of poor quality houses in several nine-storey tower blocks.The scheme is also directlyadjacent to Barking Riverside, a large areaundergoing major regeneration. LB Barking hoped toreduce the ‘cliff edge’ effect between the twoneighbourhoods and create an appropriate ‘gateway’for Barking Riverside.

Key features� Innovative funding model� Build costs kept to minimum through verysimple, repeatable built form

ChallengesThe objective of the project was to demolish theexisting poor quality housing stock and to delivernew good quality housing at a variety of rent levels,which would remain Council housing and not belost to right-to-buy. Land values in this area are verylow, so looking for cross-subsidy from private salewas not worthwhile. At the same time significantimprovements to the general townscape could beachieved.

Given the location and objectives, a key parameterfor the project was that build costs needed to bekept to an absolute minimum.

51

Imag

e:PT

EA

rchi

tect

s

13 THAMESVIEW EASTLondon Borough of Barking & Dagenham

Development partner Explore Investments, a Laing O’Rourke Company

Architect/design Pollard Thomas Edwards Architects



Housing manager LB Barking & Dagenham

New scheme showing green areas

52

Is there a resident community and is itcooperative?The Council worked in partnership with localresidents to produce a masterplan of the area.Consultation began in October 2008 and revealedthat residents’ key concerns were health, educationand community facilities; sports and leisure facilities;green space; and improvements to local streets androads.The design team then staged exhibitions and

New scheme with quality public space and blockviews

Imag

es:P

olla

rdT

hom

asEd

war

dsA

rchi

tect

s

53

workshops, which invited more ideas about how totransform the estate into a vibrant place to live.Afinal exhibition in April 2009 showed the communitya finalised masterplan based on their views andsuggestions.

What is the design responseThe scheme consists of 151 family houses, 35 duplexflats and 90 one and two bedroom flats.To meet thecost and programme objectives of the project, acarefully limited range of townhouse types wasdeveloped, with variety achieved through subtlevariations in plan, roof-form and windowarrangements.

Likewise, the duplexes and flats are located within asequence of identical blocks; each block is simplydistinguished by a unique colour scheme andartwork.

The combination of houses and maisonettes fitswith the flood risk strategy, which prohibitsbedrooms at ground level. In all other respects, thescheme is designed according to the latest bestpractice thinking in housing and urban design tocreate a high quality environment for people to live.

What role is the Council playing?The Council acquired all land interests, cleared theland of existing structures and has acted asdeveloper.The Council also nominated and managesthe tenancies, most of which have been let to localpeople who were previously housed inunsatisfactory conditions.

How is the project being funded?The long-term investment model that fundedThamesView East was devised by asset managementspecialist Long Harbour.The Council has granted alease over their land for a fixed period to a privatejoint-venture funder.

The joint venture body financed the construction ofthe scheme and will cover all lifecycle andmaintenance costs in return for a regular incomederived from rental receipts.The Council retains thefreehold interest in the land, and will receiveownership of the properties (at no extra cost) atthe end of the investment period.

By creating a ring-fenced corporate entity, right-to-buy legislation does not apply and the local authorityretains control over their housing stock.

What is the procurement route?The Council directly procured asset managementspecialist Long Harbour to devise and promote thefunding model and the architects PollardThomasEdwards Architects and the builders Jerram Falkusto implement the scheme.

What is the long-term ownership andmanagement strategy?The Council retains the freehold interest in the land.The homes will be rented out and managed byBarking and Dagenham Reside, a new housingcompany set up by the Council. The homes will berented out at a mixture of 50%, 65% and 80% ofmarket rent. Ownership of the houses will transferback to the Council after approximately 40 years.

The combination of houses and maisonettes fits with the floodrisk strategy, which prohibits bedrooms at ground level. In allother respects, the scheme is designed according to the latestbest practice thinking in housing and urban design to create ahigh quality environment for people to live

54

Tybalds is a typical post-war housing estate containing360 homes in a mix of tower blocks and deck accessslab blocks between 5 and 14 storey in height. It islocated in Bloomsbury close to Great OrmondStreet Children’s Hospital and Holborn tube station.The serious need for housing on the estate and inCamden in general motivated LB Camden to organisea regeneration project to densify and refurbish theestate. The project will deliver 93 new infill homes, amore sustainable and cost efficient heating system forthe whole estate, and improve existing buildings,landscaping and security.

Key project features� Repairing the urban grain with intelligent designinterventions which add to and finish blocks tocontain and enliven open spaces.

� Making better use of land within a central area� Reduction in quantum of open space, butsignificant improvement in provision and qualityof public open space

What is the objective?There are a variety of issues being addressed by thisscheme:

� low quality public realm;� significant potential for intensification (64%of the available space consists of tarmac andconcrete paving and only 13% of the land isactually built on);

� different housing types are needed to meet theneeds of local residents and the private market;

� poor urban design, particularly in terms ofpedestrian legibility and permeability; and

� the architecture responded insensitively to thelocal environment, which contains buildings frommany time periods.

Is there a resident community and is itcooperative?The estate has an activeTenants and ResidentsAssociation (TRA),which supported the scheme fromthe outset. LB Camden nonetheless went to greatlengths to ensure residents took a key role indecision-making and design.Concerns were initially raised in relation to potentialloss of light, privacy and views, and the loss of aplayground. In response the Council formed asteering group very early, which contained residentsof estate and locals living in the surrounding area.

A mini-competition was run to select a design teamfor the project and the steering group acted as aninterview panel, quizzing the finalists.This led LBCamden to ask several firms to work jointly, simplybecause the steering group felt they could allcontribute positively to the scheme. The steeringgroup was also involved in interviewing finalists toselect the contractor.

What is the design response?This scheme inserts new residential blocks intoawkward gaps and reconnectsTybalds to thesurrounding neighborhood via new public spaces andthrough routes. Together these interventions haveintroduced much-needed coherence and continuityto the built environment. The scheme seeks toprotect existing qualities such as open play space, gapsbetween the buildings enabling views of neighboringstreets, and the robustness of the estate’s trees andboundary walls.The scheme exploits underusedspaces that have historically suffered blank frontages,poor maintenance and aesthetic unattractiveness.Underbuilds, overbuilds and bookend and sideextensions to existing towers will create new flats,

14 TYBALDS ESTATELondon Borough of Camden

Development partner LB Camden

Architect/design Tibbalds, Mæ, Avanti, Duggan Morris, Camlins



Housing manager LB Camden

55

balconies and roof gardens.One stairwell will beconverted to flats and replaced by a safer,morevisually permeable stairwell build out.All newextensions will improve refuse facilities and entrancesat ground level.

The public realm strategy includes a new square, newcourtyards for all the existing tower blocks,integrated play space, and shared space streetsacross the site. A new single lane vehicle route willrun through the site. Pedestrian axes will bemaintained and improved by landscaping works.Newly-activated house frontages will also encourageinformal play and socialising along the streets. It ishoped the new square in particular will becomeimportant for general amenity and for people’s

navigation of the wider neighborhood.A new site-wide Combined Heat and Power (CHP) plant willreduce the utility costs for residents and reduceCO2 emissions.Two residents’ halls used for Englishclasses, worship and community events will berefurbished.

What role is the Council playing?LB Camden is acting as the developer, including takingsales risk.

How is the project being funded?The Council is financing and developing the new infillunits independently as part of its Community

This scheme inserts new residential blocks into awkward gapsand reconnects Tybalds to the surrounding neighborhood vianew public spaces and through routes. Together theseinterventions have introduced much-needed coherence andcontinuity to the built environment.The scheme seeks toprotect existing qualities such as open play space

Model of proposed site layout

56

Investment Programme (CIP).The CIP is a 15 yearplan to invest money in schools, homes andcommunity facilities (www.camden.gov.uk/cip).Receipts from the sale of 27 private units will cross-subsidize refurbishment of the estate as a whole,which will take place after the development of thenew build.

What is the procurement route?LB Camden has directly appointed the design teamand expects to appoint a contractor by end of spring2015 to deliver this project.

What is the long-term ownership andmanagement strategy?The overall estate will remain in the ownership andunder the management of LB Camden.A local lettingspolicy will mean that the new social and intermediatehousing will be offered to existingTybalds residentsfirst, and priority will be given to locals directlyaffected by the development.This preferentialallocation is managed by a points-based system basedon severity of need and length of tenure.

1,2,3: Proposed block and street views; 4: Originalbuildings

1

3 4

2

Imag

es:1

,2,3

:For

bes

Mas

sie;4

:Dav

idG

rand

orge

57

Well-designed housing and public realm is the key topersuading residents and other stakeholders thatestate regeneration is worthwhile.As a resultinvesting in up-front masterplanning and subsequentdetailed planning applications is crucial to any estateregeneration scheme.

Working with local residents from ‘day one’ helps tobuild trust, and will make later discussions overdensity and phasing much easier. Unexpected shocksare avoided.

Surveys of existing conditions and infrastructure arealso essential.They enable realistic plans to emergeand prevent delays, amendments and repetition laterin the design process. However, expectations ofresidents have to be carefully managed throughoutthe process.

Cost and viability modelling should be done at thesame time as design work to make sure aspirationsand ideas discussed with residents are actuallyachievable. Selecting high quality developmentpartners and construction firms for delivery is

Hints and tips for successfulestate regeneration – adesigner’s perspective

A conversation with Paul Karakusevic, Karakusevic Carson Architects

Density and viability can usually both be achieved without the need for high-rise buildings

58

also vital to ensure that designs are built to thehighest quality without variations and poorworkmanship.

Masterplans and early detailed applications need tobe at a sensible and appropriate density. If they aretoo low, viability will be difficult to achieve. If theyare too high, existing residents will be unsupportive.But density and viability can usually both be achievedwithout the need for high-rise buildings or radicalsolutions, through clever planning and design.

A great deal of housing being demolished today isless than 50 years old. New homes should userobust materials and be expected to last 200 yearsor more.This is truly sustainable and results inlower whole-life costs for both tenants and the localauthority/landlords.

To achieve this, service charges need to be factoredinto the design of buildings.The owners of affordablehousing stock must take a long-term view onmaintenance and repair.

Short-termism and value engineering at thetender/construction stage of an estate regenerationscheme can damage build quality and increase

maintenance costs for life.To combat this, localauthorities should consider retaining themasterplanning and architectural team in somecapacity until the end of a project.This will ensurediscussions and knowledge from the early stages arenot neglected when the scheme is being built out.

Quality can often be lost through the detailed designand construction processes by not paying enoughattention to streets, spaces and boundaries. Makesure that sufficient budget is available for theseessential elements of schemes. Placemaking is muchmore than just new buildings.

Finally, statutory design standards should always betreated as minimums rather than maximums. Moregenerous ceiling heights, storage, acoustic standardsand internal dimensions are guaranteed to makeboth new and existing residents happier and moresupportive. Residents who take pride in theirneighbourhood will be more positive about laterphases and associated disruption.

Overall, the living experience of occupying new unitsin a scheme must never be sidelined.Would you livethere? The answer should always be ‘yes’. If not,something’s wrong!

1:Working closely with local residents helps to build trust; 2:Teamwork and long-term planning is key to success

1 2

Imag

es:K

CA

59

Cost and viability modelling should be done at the same timeas design work to make sure aspirations and ideas discussedwith residents are actually achievable

3: Residents enjoy the new spaces at Thames View East

3

estate regeneration sourcebook - urban design … · estate regeneration sourcebook content: ......

Documents