The 'Gateway' to the new South Kilburn - a work with little progres so far
The South Kilburn Tenants Steering Group met inDecember so that tenants could hear an update on the South Kilburn Regeneration that started almost 20 years ago with the launch of the Masterplan LINK and may take another decade to complete.
Extract from the Masterplan
Like other council developments in Brent there is a possibility of tenure change, with more private sales, to ensure viability. There also appear to be problems with the deliverability of the planned new school that would replace Carlton Vale Infants and Kilburn Park Junion school buildings.
From January 9th on Wembley Matters
As previously reported the Council is consulting on ending the South Kilburn Promise (Landlord Offer) for new temporary accommodation households and the use of void properties on the South Kilburn Estate for temporary accommodation. At present the Council incurs a £0.6m charge on South Kilburn void properties.
The South Kilburn regeneration itself is threatened by a viability crisis:
Viability is a key challenge for the remaining developments within the South Kilburn programme. The Single Delivery Partner approach is being explored to help provide certainty for the programme and provide economies of scale for the delivery partner.
Negotiations are going on regarding the purchase of the Falcon and Queens Park car park pub site: LINK
The Council has announced a decision for the Corporate Director for Comminities and Regeneration to make an offer to Londonnewcastle to acquire the Falcon pub site, previously seen as a key site forming a gateway to South Kilburn. Its acquisition along with the car park opposite led to the HS2 vent being controversially located within the estate next to a primary school.
In the Minutes of TSG meeting below I have underlined the number of social homes expected although I suspect that figure may reduce and needs to be considered along with those being decanted from existing blocks.
The arithmetic does not look hopeful.
There is a misconception that the Tenants Steering Group is what the name says. In fact it is run by Communities first a council-appointed group. It is not open to all South Kilburn tenants. Our (South Kilburn) TRA has never been invited. Indeed when 2 members of our committee found out about a meeting and went along, they were told the meeting wasn't for them, but they could sit at the back and observe for that meeting. It seems the meetings are only for those being moved by regeneration, as if the rest of us are not affected by what is happening in the area. As ever, Brent makes no serious attempt to inform residents. We hear on the grapevine that the regeneration is in crisis, but far be it for Brent to give an honest account to residents.
ReplyDeleteSouth Kilburn New Deal for Communities regeneration start date was 2001, the community-led Masterplan (in 2016 binned by developer) was finalised in 2004, with a final plan £300,000 model that developers ever since can't stop piling added layers upon layers up on to.
ReplyDeleteIn Masterplan detailed consultations with estate residents 2001-2004, the councils housing re-build priority was six 1960's-70's large panel construction 16 storey structurally unsafe BISON towers in South Kilburn at major risk of explosive collapse. There wasn't any government/council option in those regeneration consultations of retaining and sustaining such risk, though amazingly three of these BISON towers do still stand 23 years later!