Aylesbury Estate: new plans in as council approves compulsory purchase powers

A Maccreanor Lavington-led team has submitted the latest phase of a huge estate overhaul in south London despite the refusal by some residents to sell their homesThe Aylesbury Estate in Walworth is part-way through a 20-year regeneration project led by Southwark Council, which will see 4,200 homes built on the estate, originally home to 2,758 people.The latest phase, 2b, includes buildings by masterplanners Maccreanor Lavington and four other practices: Sergison Bates, Haworth Tompkins, East, and Architecture Doing Place. It is being delivered in partnership with Notting Hill Genesis.Phase 2B involves the demolition of the existing blocks to make way for five new buildings between five and 25 storeys, providing 614 homes, of which 165 are social housing, 367 private homes and 82 intermediate. The tallest building will be located on the corner of Albany Road and Thurlow Street as a gateway building to Burgess Park.Most of the estate is now empty after the council acquired 46 leasehold properties and successfully rehoused 293 households on secure tenancies. However, negotiations are still ongoing with 11 leaseholders.In a bid to make progress on stalled discussions, in June the council’s cabinet approved the use of compulsory purchase orders (CPOs), which ‘as a last resort’ would allow the authority to buy residents’ homes without their consent and move them off the estate.A previous attempt by Southwark to obtain CPO powers on a different Aylesbury phase was blocked by former communities secretary Sajid Javid , a decision the council eventually overturned in the High Court in 2018.A report on the recent council decision admitted the CPOs would ‘interfere with the human rights of those affected’, but added that there was a public interest justification in proceeding with the redevelopment.The council also argued it was seeking to mitigate the impact on those affected through its rehousing and acquisition policies.Under CPO rules, the council must buy leaseholders’ property for ‘market value’, plus a home loss payment of 10 per cent, as well as disturbance payment to cover the costs of moving.However, the council report acknowledges there is a disparity between existing values on the estate and those in surrounding areas, which could present a barrier to resident leaseholders remaining in the area.It has drawn up rehousing options for resident leaseholders, from a council tenancy to the purchase of a council property under either shared ownership or shared equity arrangements or the purchase of a housing association property on either shared ownership or shared equity.Aylesbury, one of the largest housing estates in Europe, was built in the mid-1960s on a 28.5ha site near Elephant and Castle. Designed by Derek Winch of Southwark council’s architects’ department, its 2,759 flats were housed in long slab blocks between four and 14 storeys high.Southwark Council decided to demolish and rebuild the estate in 2005 and so far 408 homes have been completed by developer L&Q in Phase 1a, led by architect HTA Design.Works are on site for a further 581 council homes and 122 private homes, as well as a new library, health centre and early years centre, scheduled to complete between autumn 2022 and 2025.