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Cllr Philippa Roe |
Opening door to new future for housing
Building hundreds of affordable homes and regenerating neglected estates is a once-in-a-generation opportunity, writes Philippa Roe
THIS September will mark the start of Westminster Council’s programme to build around 500 new homes – the biggest council house building programme the capital has seen for a generation.
While the government has only recently announced extra funding for councils across the country to build new homes, Westminster has developed its own scheme to respond to the serious shortage of affordable housing in central London.
Over the next four years, our Community Build programme will help us to significantly increase the number and range of affordable housing available to residents across the city.
Hundreds of local families who are currently living in overcrowded conditions will benefit from this project, but also people struggling to get a foot on the property ladder. We want to support those who want to contribute to the local economy with lower rents and shared ownership schemes as social housing must help those on low and middle incomes who cannot afford market prices.
The Community Build programme will also be an opportunity for significant improvements in Westminster’s estates as part of wider regeneration of local areas.
In the first scheme to go ahead, 14 affordable homes will be built in the redundant ground floor areas of estates in Westbourne. As part of this project, we have listened to local residents’ concerns about anti-social behaviour and security is set to be improved in each block.
More recently, I have also announced multi-million pound plans to regenerate Church Street as well as plans to improve three council estates – Tollgate, Brunel and Ebury Bridge.
We are planning to work with the local community to transform the areas around Church Street and Edgware Road, which have traditionally suffered from high unemployment, deprivation and lower than average life expectancy.
Under the proposals, the area’s main shopping parades and the Church Street open-air market, one of the oldest in the capital, will also be revamped to attract more shoppers and boost local businesses.
This is a huge programme of change, but a programme that will help deliver more and better quality housing, making a real difference to the lives of Westminster residents in generations to come.
This is why the involvement of residents is fundamental to make this a success. As cabinet member for housing, I want to ensure that each scheme is of real benefit to their local community.
I also understand that people may have concerns over these schemes. As the West End Extra reported last week, some residents are apprehensive about the plans for Luxborough Street in Marylebone.
However, I want to make clear that we are not proposing a scheme that will in any way disadvantage children in the area but will in fact enhance the whole neighbourhood for everyone. What we have proposed is to replace the current kickabout area with a brand new play area just yards away.
Housing is a fundamental, invaluable part of building a living city and it should provide the framework, both physically and socially, for successful and cohesive communities. My vision is to transform all of our estates into thriving, economically active and vibrant places for people to live in.
To do this, we want to work with residents and share ideas to improve their local areas. We are planning to set up steering committees for each of the estates on which we will have local residents and ward councillors. We have already started consulting residents on the first phase of the Community Build programme, and comprehensive consultation is planned at each location over the coming months.
Any residents who would like more information should email
communitybuild@cwh.org.uk or call 020 7245 2308.
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Your comments:
I CANNOT speak for the other areas where building hundreds of affordable homes and regenerating neglected estates is going on but at Luxborough Tower the consultation with the local residents by WCC and its CityWest Homes has been woefully lacking and it has only been after we, the local residents of the area, have expressed our concerns (via a
petition containing 800 signatures in opposition to this proposed development of 19 flats on an existing playspace) that there has been any talk of a "brand new play area just yards away." And where is this play area going to be located - in the back area of the estate where it will be difficult to monitor its use? The Police have expressed their very real concerns regarding both the loss of this amenity and/or its relocation. This estate has surrounding grounds intended to offer its residents a haven of green and open space in the midst of concentrated housing. What extra land has Ms Roe found to build this new play space?
Why build 19 flats on an existing play space (a space which WCC itself has designated as "PROTECTED Open Space") and then force the residents of the estate to give up even more of their estate grounds to build another play space? This play space is protected and the government should be looking at improving it - not building high end flats on it.
We need to keep this space for the young persons of the area.
C. Gibson
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