Plans afoot for Hoxton skyscrapers
High time for change: Colville Estate. Photograph: Hackney Council
Hackney Council has launched a competition for architects to design two residential tower blocks for Hoxton’s Colville Estate regeneration in a bid to create more affordable housing in the area.
The brief states the towers must have “distinct character and identity” but the skyscrapers will loom over Shoreditch Park and replace low-rise 1950s buildings with blocks of up to 14 and 20 storeys high.
Concerns have been raised over the notoriety surrounding tower blocks and Hackney Council’s history of demolishing some existing high-rise flats in the 1980s and 1990s because of poor housing conditions.
Shopkeeper Imam Sumbul from Whitmore supermarket said: “They will be too high and it is not nice – they will block out the sun and there will be more people and more trouble.
“They need to bring more housing into the area but not on this estate; there are too many flats here already.”
Although the regeneration is welcomed by residents, there has been some friction regarding temporary accommodation, eligibility changes and loss of amenities for residents.
In a controversial move, Conservative councillor for Leabridge ward, Linda Kelly, was called upon by Colville residents in De Beauvoir ward to help with issues raised.
Cllr Linda Kelly said: “One lady said she didn’t want the regeneration, all she wanted was a refurbishment – a proper bathroom, toilet and kitchen and she would have been happy where she was.
Resident Jennifer Hutchinson said: “Hopefully they will learn and realise that they are not just dealing with numbers for decanting but human beings who have been settled in a home for nearly 40 years and who don’t really want to leave.
“I am not in agreement with the two towers – to me councils should have learnt long ago about tower blocks…
Cllr Linda Kelly said: “The idea was we would move away from the high rises because they breed depression and isolation and they are not pretty things to see on the landscape.
“At the end of the day, we are putting people in boxes. Like a young mother with a young child and no extended family, just give her one of these flats.
“Build a six or seven block but make them more spacious. Make them family-friendly and make them fit into the environment.
“You have got to look at what they take away from the community – they may need to tick a box saying they have built 15,000 houses but where is the human aspect of it? That is not fair.”
Vice-chair of the Colville Tenants’ and Residents’ Association Michael Jones, of Bridport Place, said: “I’ve lived on the estate all my life and I am a little upset but I don’t want to stop the regeneration – I’m all for it, we asked for it.
“The regeneration is going to be lovely, I wanted to move to Essex but now I’ve got a new place which is beautiful. The old place was freezing cold with cracks in the walls and damp everywhere.
“But I’m going to lose the community garden which I’ve had for eight years – we had it landscaped and brought it to life.”
The £25m “mixed-use” project will provide social renting, shared ownership and private sale properties, which will generate income for the estate’s development. The homes are said to be “high quality and energy-efficient”, with residential capacity increasing from 412 to 884 over ten years.
A spokesperson for Hackney Council said: “Changes to the way local authority housing is funded means that Hackney, like other councils, directly manages funding for its social housing regeneration programmes.
“Colville will be a mixed-tenure neighbourhood, with revenue raised from private housing being used to deliver high quality social housing. This development represents a critical source of income in terms of financing the overall regeneration and renewal of the estate.
“Local residents, ward councillors and other stakeholders have been involved at every stage of the regeneration project.”
I want to reassure anyone reading the above article, that while the Colville Community Garden will need to be moved during the regeneration, it will be temporarily relocated, before finding a more permanent home on the new estate.
How many more people are going to be crammed into this part of the borough?All along East Road student hostels are either built or finished.Stoke Newington could do with some high rises,why not there?
Theres a big vacant lot just here http://g.co/maps/zrzj9
which would be the ideal base for a 30 storey block
reach for the stars
Tower blocks in Stokie, Pat?!! What on earth would the dinner party set have to say about that? 😉
I’m not familiar at this point with the brief but perhaps Cllr Glanville can give us some examples of where similar high-rise mixed tenure developments have worked well in the past, what the service charges are likely to be, whether there will be any difference in quality between the owner occupied and social rented properties, what personal external space will be available and whether a refusal to move there will count against those on the waiting list?
There is no democracy in social housing provision. No real representation. Hackney should take a leaf out of Rochdale Boroughwide Housing’s book and go mutual – http://www.rbhousing.org.uk/ – then at least tough decisions would be backed by the majority of the community, rather than leaving people without a stake in their neighbourhoods. Democratising social housing is now an urgent neccessity if we want to live in a good society.
GSOB,I dont know what I was thinking suggesting Stoke Newington.Andrew Boffs points need to be answered.
Poor Michael Jones, what a shame he is going to lose his community garden after 8 years !! Do I feel sympathy – NO – because he could not care less about the residents in Felton House who have looked after their gardens and spent time, energy and love on their gardens for nearly 30 years. At least he will have a garden relocated on the estate. Myself and others have established plants and trees, I even have a fish pond but we have not been promised the same facilities. I have spent thousands of pounds over the years on my garden as probably have the other residents. Has Michael Jones spent thousands of pounds out of his own pocket on the community garden? I doubt it !
they move gardens for brother mick but we dont get even a basic service we get nothing we are not allowed in this garden ask the tenants here
only a community brotherhood garden
I had to climb the fence to sit in my community garden because I was told by the brotherhood they did not have keys LIARS YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE
I HAVE NO KITCHEN WORKTOPS FOR 9 YEARS I HAVE TO PREPARE MY FOOD ON MY FRIDGE
TRUTH IS THEY DONT CARE ABOUT NO ONE BUT THEMSELVES AND THE COLVILLE BROTHERHOOD
Steve and Jennifer,whats gone on here?Obviously there is more happening on the colville estate than anyone is saying.
the problem is people are scared to talk I have facts on my own experiences positive proof of what I have gone through and that includes the three puppets sorry labour councillers
who told me they were going to help me
maybe they know my history and know I would never vote labour
vindictive complaints about myself
letter after letter call after call telling me I was going to be evicted for arrears on a vulnerable tenant begs belief causing a massive breakdown
I THANK GOD BECAUSE I AM A LOT STRONGER NOW STONGER THAN I WAS BEFORE AND WILL NEVER LET THESE PEOPLE BULLY ME AGAIN
Another reason residents in Felton/Colville are angry, is because it has just come to light that squatters have been given two streets of terraced houses by the Council totalling £4.4m because the Council forgot they owned the premises for over 12 years !! We cant even get decent accommodation to be decanted into, they expect us to move out of our comfortable homes into tips until the “new” Colville is built while “Guardians” move in. Its alright for those on the “committee” they won’t have the inconvenience of moving twice, they will move from their homes straight into new properties, so they don’t suffer the stress and everything that other residents in Felton, Lucan and Harwood Court are suffering. Certainly planned that right didn’t they !! Cushy!!
Jennifer, it seems that you and others have after all the years of mis-management on the estate now have more aggravation.I have been told that certain people have already moved out, lucky them. It’s on facebook. Andrew Boff points out that Cllr Glanville should answer the points that he raises. Also, it’s not the first time that this council has forgotten about property that we, they own. I was told that they forgot about some in Hoxton Square. No small feat that.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-18385434
http://www.manhattanloftgardens.co.uk/extraordinary-architecture/
Its certainly true that Hoxton is already high density. How many more homes and people can we pack in?