Retrofitting much of the Aylesbury Estate would be “difficult” because of inbuilt problems and new fire safety and building regulations, Southwark Council said this week.
It comes after a group of residents on the estate launched a campaign earlier this month calling for the remaining buildings to be retrofitted instead of demolished.
Cllr Helen Dennis, the council’s Cabinet Member for New Homes and Sustainable Development, said Southwark’s aim would be to “replace old council housing with new council homes or homes for social rent at similar rent levels.”
Southwark recently parted ways with the developer leading the regeneration of the 2700-home Walworth council estate and is preparing to find another partner to finish the scheme.
The partnership with Notting Hill Genesis has led to the construction of 581 council homes in addition to the new Una Marson library, Harold Moody health centre, a home for the Mentivity youth club and a public square on the estate.
Notting Hill Genesis will finish demolishing four blocks on the estate on Phase 2b (Wendover 241-471, Padbury, Ravenstone and Winslow) and will build 640 homes before parting ways with the council.
Control over the regeneration will then return to Southwark who will begin looking for a new developer to build the remaining 2,200 homes, taking the total number of new homes up to 4,200, including those built earlier in the regeneration before the council partnered with NHG.
Southwark said it would be ending the agreement following “concerns from Aylesbury estate residents that progress with the regeneration has been too slow, and that delays have contributed to issues such as antisocial behaviour around empty blocks awaiting demolition.”
News of NHG’s departure followed concerns raised by residents and local politicians, which were highlighted by a News investigation last year, that delays to the regeneration had left several buildings on the estate empty without a date for when they could be demolished, becoming magnets for squatters and drug-taking.
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Councillor Ketzia Harper, a resident of the estate, voiced concern that the partnership was no longer providing Southwark with good value for money, questioning how much had been spent on securing the estate against squatting and whether any of the cost had been borne by NHG.
The News submitted an FOI in December asking how much had been spent on the regeneration since NHG took over in 2015 which revealed that £350 million has been spent, the same amount retrofitting was estimated to cost in 2005 but was ruled out as too expensive.
A retrofit campaign set up by Aylesbury residents, Our Aylesbury, met for the first time on March 7 with around 30 residents and supporters in attendance.
The residents are calling on the council to retrofit the buildings which make up the next phase of the regeneration: Wolverton, Brockley House and Wendover 1 – 240.
Retrofitting – when you add features to existing buildings to make them more energy efficient – is sometimes argued to be a simpler, more cost-effective and environmentally friendly alternative to demolition.
Our Aylesbury say that other examples of where buildings have been retrofitted across Europe and the UK have reduced residents’ energy bills by as much as 80 per cent.
“There is mounting evidence that this will be better than demolition and new build both for the community and for the environment,” a spokesperson for the group said. “And it will be quicker and more cost-effective.”
However Cllr Helen Dennis said that while the council would be reviewing the condition of all the blocks on the 1960s-era estate, “many have inbuilt problems which would make them difficult to retrofit.
“The new Building Safety and Fire Safety Regulations make it extremely challenging for these blocks to meet the new standards even after refurbishment. There are also design challenges such as the undercrofts, which can encourage crime and anti-social behaviour.”
She added: “Some of the older blocks have more significant issues with damp and mould and that’s why we are determined to deliver better homes for residents and move ahead more quickly with the regeneration.”
The campaign group also claimed that the “imminence of demolition has been used as an excuse for not doing repairs on the estate properly, or not doing repairs at all.”
They said they would work to help residents organise together to get damp, mould, heating and pest issues tackled.
Cllr Helen Dennis, Southwark Council’s Cabinet Member for New Homes and Regeneration, added: “The Aylesbury Estate is one of Europe’s largest estate renewals and has created 581 new high-quality council homes and excellent new facilities like the Una Marson Library, Harold Moody Health Centre, a new youth and community centre, and other estate improvements.
“However we know many residents have raised concerns that progress has been too slow. We share these concerns and are taking action to move forward in a different way, with several partners working on the estate to add more construction capacity.
“We’re strongly committed to working with residents on what comes next for their estate and want their voices to be at the heart of future plans. Our aim is to replace old council housing with new council homes or homes for social rent at similar rent levels.
“The new homes on the Aylesbury Estate which have been delivered to date are built to a high standard, and are more energy efficient, which drives down energy costs.
“We will always carry out repairs in homes and ask residents please to report any repairs. Some of the older blocks have more significant issues with damp and mould and that’s why we are determined to deliver better homes for residents and move ahead more quickly with the regeneration.”
With regard to the Southwark Councillor’s statement that retrofitting the Aylesbury would be “complicated” – I thought that was what are elected representatives are supposed to do: undertake the comolex duty of governing on our behalf by virtue of the trust we have placed in them. Moreover, Southwark has Housing Officers and managers on 5 and even 6 figure salaries to do the work. What’s the problem?
It is also the right choice. All the alternatives are for profit. Retrofitting is for people. Perhaps that’s why this Labour councillor is hesitant – also why people are losing faith in Labour.
These flats are decent homes designed with plenty of space. After years of planned derliction then abandonment they deserve a total refurbishment and a second life as family homes. Sorry Southwark it’s your responsibility and your duty, however much you don’t like doing the hard work, get on with it!