The map shows how many sites are still to be developed 20 years after the 2004 Masterplan.
The South Kilburn Regeneration began as a concept in the late 1990s, with the New Deal for Communities adopted in 2001.
The first South Kilburn Masterplan was approved on the 12th July 2004 so the project has been going for 20 years and completion may take at least another ten.
The Minutes of the 12th July Executive Meeting show that non-Executive members were concerned that the Masterplan had not gone to the Scrutiny Committee. LINK
Tomorrow's Cabinet starts at 10am and South Kilburn is Item 12 out of 15 items LINK. The meeting will be livestreamed HERE.
Cabinet will be asked to approve a new chapter with the council seeking a single developer rather than a multiplicity of developers for the sites that remain. They include
Queens
Park & Cullen House, William Dunbar House and William Saville House,
Masefield House, Wordsworth House and Dickens House, Craik Court, Crone Court
and Zangwill House, Hereford House and Exeter Court, Austin House and Blake
Court and John Radcliffe House.
The Cabinet are told that Early Pre-market Engagement has indicated interest from several companies to take on the very large task with attendant risks in the current climate. Economies of scale are cited as an advantage but there are still risks regarding viability
The regeneration programme is based on the cross-subsidy model where the
receipts from market housing funds the delivery of affordable housing, social
and public infrastructure. It is however notable that the programme has up
until now benefitted from rapidly rising sales values as regeneration improved
the area, but the sales values are now flattening out.
Meanwhile construction
cost inflation has risen steeply and continues to remain high, this alongside
the recent regulatory changes, specifically the second staircase, is putting
viability under extreme pressures. Also, interest rate rises have affected both
development market and purchaser demand. Affordability of the programme is
expected to remain challenging and will need to be carefully monitored and
robustly managed.
There are still tenants waiting to be rehoused on the estate in line with the Landlord Promise made by the Council that they would be rehoused on the estate. It appears that 164 will have to wait until after 2028:
933 tenants have been permanently rehoused in a new home in South
Kilburn. Approximately 200 tenants have been permanently rehoused outside South
Kilburn in a new build or an existing home around the borough in areas such as
Harlesden, Willesden, Cricklewood, Willesden Green, Kensal Rise, Kensal Green,
Brondesbury and Kilburn.
At time of writing there are 284 tenants across Austin, Blake, Dickens, Craik,
Crone, Zangwill, John Radcliffe, William Dunbar and William Saville remaining to
be rehoused. 120 of the 284 will have the opportunity to be rehoused between
2025 and 2028 in the developments under construction at NWCC, C&G and Peel.
The rehousing team is working with tenants at Austin, Blake and Dickens as a
priority for the next phase of rehousing as these blocks are in the poorest condition.
The report is franker that previously about the difficulties encountered, partly in support of the single developer proposal:
In a small number of developments however residents have experienced disruptive
build quality issues. At Granville New Homes, Franklin, Chase and Hollister
House, there have been issues with water leakage, supply of hot water and
heating, poor workmanship and use of poor-quality material. Elsewhere, at Merle
Court and George and Swift House fire safety issues with cladding has required
significant remediation works.
Multiplicity of landlords
and managing agents arising from the site-by-site development model is also
reflected in the inconsistent and variable standards of management and
maintenance of the public realm across the neighbourhood and sometimes on
opposite sides of the street. This inconsistent approach has marred the
community's experience of living, working and visiting South Kilburn.
Parts of South Kilburn
have a concentration of sites at various stages of redevelopment - sites which
are hoarded up and under construction, sites which are part or fully vacant.
There areas have been experiencing increased levels of anti-social behaviour,
fly-tipping and squatting. Alongside this is the noise, dust, vibration, and
traffic disruption arising from the construction itself.
Whilst these
are the inevitable consequences of large-scale, long-term regeneration
programmes, it presents significant disruption to the day-to-day experience of
residents and erodes their sense of safety, community and ownership.
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The delivery programme as set out in the 2016 Masterplan review has been
delayed due to economic and viability challenges and recent regulatory changes
requiring extensive design amendments. Beyond the sites which are currently
under construction there is no future pipeline of new homes. For residents (tenants
and leaseholders) remaining in the existing blocks the uncertainty of not knowing
when and where they are going to move is frustrating, particularly for residents
living in overcrowded and poor quality homes.
For viability there will be an increase in the private homes quota as well as an increase in densification.
According to the 2016 Masterplan, the remaining sites can provide a
further 1,400 homes. An initial review of the Masterplan has indicated that
there are opportunities for optimisation, densification to deliver more housing
The remainder of programme will include a higher percentage of private housing
to re- balance the overall distribution of housing tenure and front loading of
affordable homes provision in the earlier phases of the programme. The level of
private housing will be critical to the viability of future phases.
There is never much discussion, and certainly
not debate, at Cabinet - that is all done in private with officers at a
private pre-Cabinet meeting, so this complex and risky proposal is
likely to go through in a few minutes. It is important that Scrutiny
Commitee (unlike in 2005) considers it at the appropriate time.
