Describe buildings as Britain's most important 20th century housing

Roehampton Library on the Alton Estate

A group of leading architects have signed a letter calling for plans to redevelop the Alton Estate to be abandoned. They are asking that Allbrook House and Roehampton Library be conserved.

Signatories include Lord Rogers and David Adjaye as well as past presidents of RIBA, the architects’ professional body and leading academics in the field.

They describe the mid-20th century housing development as one of the most important examples of its kind in Britain and say that the planned replacement will change view across Richmond Park in a negative way.

The architectural heritage of the site includes influences from Swedish housing projects during the war and from younger architects in the fifties who were inspired by Le Corbusier’s unité d’habitation in Marseille.

The Twentieth Century Society say they would consider support for a renewed attempt to have the buildings listed having earlier backed the listing of Allbrook House and the extension of a conservation area to cover the whole estate. An attempt to have the buildings listed in 2015 was rejected by the government after an appeal with Historic England being against the move.

A spokesperson for the Department of Culture, Digital, Media and Sport (DCMS) said, ‘Having carefully considered advice from Historic England, it was decided that the Allbrook House and Roehampton Library do not meet the architectural or historic interest requirements for listing.’

Wandsworth have appointed property developer Redrow to redevelop the estate and they have released a masterplan for development. Existing residents are being promised improved accommodation on the estate.

It is understood that detailed plans for the site will be presented to Wandsworth’s planning committee in the next few week. A spokesperson for Wandsworth Council has been quoted as saying that the attempt to list the building was ‘an expensive waste of time’. They added, ’Overall, the regeneration is set to provide approximately 1,000 new homes, including newly built reprovided homes for all council tenants and owner-occupiers on their estate, more council housing, an improved park, more shops, a community hub and new library.’

January 19, 2018