Southwark Council has announced that the second phase of its plan to renew the Ledbury estate in Peckham has begun, writes Frankie Hills…
Ground was officially broken as the council starts its long-term plans to revitalise the area, as the demolition of the three remaining 1960s tower blocks gets underway.
The old towers were deemed to be unsafe due to their use of a large panel system during construction and were found not to have been reinforced as was required after the Ronan point collapse. As a result, residents voted 86 per cent in favour of the towers being demolished and replaced with new modern homes in 2021.
In their stead, the council will erect 275 new homes and 14 shared ownership homes, along with 65 private sale homes which will pay for the scheme. Plans for the facility include improved public spaces, two new commercial units and community facilities.
Work on the new homes will begin as the first phase of the regeneration project wraps up, with the first tower block due to be completed this year, which will provide 60 new council homes as well as 20 new homes for private sale.
Tom Copley, the deputy mayor of London for housing and residential development, joined contractors and members of the council for a ground-breaking event on 18th March.
Speaking on the progress made of the revitalisation of the Ledbury estate, Copley said: “The mayor and I are proud to be supporting the Ledbury Estate renewal with £5.7m in grant funding from City Hall and welcome the start of construction on phase two.
“This is an important and bold redevelopment which will deliver 340 new, mixed-tenure homes, helping Londoners and families into secure and high-quality housing in the borough. I look forward to continuing to work in partnership with Southwark Council to boost the delivery of affordable homes as we build a fairer and better London for everyone.”
Cllr Helen Dennis, Cabinet Member for New Homes and Sustainable Development, also commented, saying: “Today’s ground-breaking is a significant moment for the Ledbury Estate community. This phase of construction brings us closer to delivering the safe, warm and genuinely affordable homes that residents deserve.
Relatedarticles
“We are grateful to everyone who has worked with us so far, and we remain committed to involving residents as the project progresses.
“It’s fantastic to see work beginning on these new council homes, to add to the thousands already built or under construction in our borough.”
