New Cross: Plans for phased redevelopment of Achilles Street estate approved

Lewisham council's strategic planning committee unanimously approved the redevelopment of Achilles Street estate at the meeting on 2 December.

The council was the applicant, a single resident attended the meeting and no members of the public spoke in support or objected to the application.

There was visible relief from the council's large applicant team as the planning application was granted.

They were perhaps concerned by the continuing protests about plans for Lewisham Shopping Centre, but there are major differences between the two developments.

Councillors commended the high levels of affordable housing, including social rent, that will be provided by the redevelopment, and the extensive consultation and engagement with existing residents.

The development will demolish the existing estate, including Azalea House, Fenton House and Austin House and the commercial premises at 355 - 383 New Cross Road, and replace them with five new buildings.

The new buildings range from 4-storeys to 16-storeys high; the increased height has allowed more homes to be offered.

The estate currently provides 88 homes, while the redevelopment will provide 278 homes of which 166 (60%) will be affordable.

The affordable homes will consist of 122 homes at social rent (44% of total) and 44 shared ownership (16% of total units).

There is an increase in the number of family-sized homes. The remaining 112 units will be for private sale.

The plans also provide commercial workspace, a new play area and improvements to Fordham park.

Officers pointed out the long consultation that took place from 2015, before the residents' ballot in October 2019. 92% of eligible residents voted, with 73% of voters in support of regeneration.

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Feed the Hill

Councillor Sakina Sheikh from the controlling Labour group, asked what officers were doing to ensure that community groups such as Feed the Hill would not be displaced.

Feed the Hill is a food poverty alleviation project based at 367 New Cross Road, which works with local residents and schools.

The planning officer said that many people had requested that Feed the Hill continue its work on the estate.

The council supported the charity and would try to support its continued operation, and had extended the commercial units to include class F which better supports community groups, as well as class E.

But they could not require a landlord to keep a specific tenant. Feed the Hill would be allowed to come back, but they could not guarantee it.

Thames water network capacity

Green Party opposition councillor Hau-Yu Tam, asked for more information about the Thames Water grampian condition.

She noted that Thames water has warned that it does not have sufficient capacity to meet the increased demand of the development. The grampian condition states that the buildings cannot be occupied, until new water capacity is built.

She asked whether the officer had any concerns about Thames Water's ability to deliver this.

The planning officer said that they did not think this would affect "deliverability" and the condition was reasonable, but agreed that there was always a risk with any condition.

Luke Riley for the council explained the application in more detail, noting the years of consultation and the aim "to put residents first", giving examples of the landlord offer and the residents' ballot in 2019.

The landlord offer

Existing tenants and resident leaseholders are guaranteed a new home on the estate, along with other rights including parking arrangements.

Current residents requested that existing car parking spaces be restored for their use. There is no car parking for new residents, except for blue badge parking.

Phased development

Riley explained that the unusual phased development with "decanting" of blocks is designed to ensure that every resident who wishes to, can stay on the estate, and that no resident has to move more than once.

This aims to responds to residents' wishes and maintain community cohesion.

However, it does mean that residents will be living close to demolition followed by construction work, with disruption, noise and air pollution consequences, for the planned period of 2027 to 2033.

This issue was not raised by councillors.

New homes will have air quality filtering from MVHR systems, which may protect residents from air pollution from traffic and from the construction work once they have moved. But the commercial units will not have filtering systems.

Fossil free heating

Riley explained that the entire estate would be heated using air source heat pumps and will have solar panels and energy efficiency measures.

There will also be green roofs and tree planting.

Occupancy rates for commercial units

Councillor John Paschoud raised concerns that "commercial units may not become occupied, for various reasons".

He asked what modelling had been done "to ensure they are commercially viable and affordable both for landlords and for the right sort of businesses to move in .. the sort of businesses that are there already, so that they are not a source of alleged gentrification."

Riley responded that the council is the landlord, the units are in need of renovation and that they had consulted as far as possible with the businesses.

He pointed out that some disruption was inevitable, but the council was committed to finding alternative spaces for the 10 existing commercial tenants when they had to vacate the buildings.

Pepper potting

Councillor Sheikh raised concerns about whether the phasing and decanting of social housing residents first could become "the thin end of the wedge" of social segregation.

The strategy which avoids this is termed "pepper potting" or mixed tenure, where tenants of different kinds, eg social rent, affordable rent and private rent are scattered evenly.

Riley responded that "we absolutely considered that ... but we put the decanting requirement first, that was seen as the priority and the one move only...

"Phase 1 and phase 2 are going to be 100% affordable, social rent and shared ownership, and with shared equity if existing home owners want to stay - they will be given a choice.

"If I put my developer hat on, I would put all my private sale in the tall block overlooking the park, as being the prime location. But that's not what this has been about."

Councillors commended the engagement with residents, "placemaking that puts residents at its heart", and the level of affordable housing and voted unanimously to approve the application.

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