As council seeks approval for all 41 new homes to be made available for social housing
The Kersfield Estate mid-build
|
Scheduled for completion in summer 2023, the Kersfield Estate on Lytton Grove is undergoing a regeneration programme as part of the council’s Housing for All scheme.
Wates Residential, part of the privately owned property and development specialist Wates Group, is building 41 new homes on the grounds of the existing estate.
Originally the council housing scheme was to result in 14 social rent homes and 27 flats for market sale. However, following the May 2022 local elections which saw Labour take control of Wandsworth council, cabinet members last month approved a
commitment to make all homes within the council’s ‘1,000 Homes Programme’ available for council rent.
A planning application amendment to switch the 27 new homes on Lytton Grove from market sale flats to council rent homes, now needs to be considered for approval by the council’s planning committee.
The redevelopment scheme on the Kersfield Estate is part of a council-led programme to develop new homes on ‘infill’ sites across the borough, using vacant or underused land around existing buildings.
Lizzie Le Mare, Director at Tibbalds, the planning and urban designers working on the site, said: “The main challenge from a design and planning point of view has been ensuring that the scheme delivers the best possible design solution to make a positive contribution to the street and wider context and also maximise the benefits for new and existing estate residents. The orientation and positioning of the buildings has been carefully considered to retain as many good quality trees as possible and to create a landscape between the buildings that is usable and feels safe and secure.”
CGI of the planned units on the Kerslake Estate
Work started in January 2021 with the demolition of an existing electricity substation on the site and ground preparation to make way for seven new blocks, ranging from two to four storeys, and a new electricity substation.
The scheme also includes improvements to the hard and soft landscaping around the new development and existing buildings on the estate, as well as new street lighting, cycle racks and car charging bays.
The new buildings were designed by Mae Architects, who were awarded Public & Social Housing Architect of the Year in October. Commenting on Mae’s designs being granted planning permission, a Wandsworth Council spokesperson said: “A key factor in this success has been the excellent approach taken to resident engagement and how plans have then been developed and adapted to take on resident comments.”
Landscaping of the site is by Shrewsbury-based Camlins, the company also working on Parkside in Nine Elms. A spokesperson from Camlins said the landscape designs for Kersfield “redefine the external space, creating safe, usable and appealing areas for residents and public. This will include a new footpath link through the site, new play areas and amenity space. The new landscape will have a clear spatial hierarchy to complement nearby parts of the estate. This purposeful approach redefines the landscape character which has been lost over time”.
Like Reading Articles Like This? Help Us Produce More This site remains committed to providing local community news and public interest journalism. Articles such as the one above are integral to what we do. We aim to feature as much as possible on local societies, charities based in the area, fundraising efforts by residents, community-based initiatives and even helping people find missing pets. We've always done that and won't be changing, in fact we'd like to do more. However, the readership that these stories generates is often below that needed to cover the cost of producing them. Our financial resources are limited and the local media environment is intensely competitive so there is a constraint on what we can do. We are therefore asking our readers to consider offering financial support to these efforts. Any money given will help support community and public interest news and the expansion of our coverage in this area. A suggested monthly payment is £8 but we would be grateful for any amount for instance if you think this site offers the equivalent value of a subscription to a daily printed newspaper you may wish to consider £20 per month. If neither of these amounts is suitable for you then contact info@neighbournet.com and we can set up an alternative. All payments are made through a secure web site. One-off donations are also appreciated. Choose The Amount You Wish To Contribute. If you do support us in this way we'd be interested to hear what kind of articles you would like to see more of on the site – send your suggestions to the editor. For businesses we offer the chance to be a corporate sponsor of community content on the site. For £30 plus VAT per month you will be the designated sponsor of at least one article a month with your logo appearing if supplied. If there is a specific community group or initiative you'd like to support we can make sure your sponsorship is featured on related content for a one off payment of £50 plus VAT. All payments are made through a secure web site. |
November 7, 2022