Last chance for residents to have their say on regeneration plans for De Beauvoir estate

Residents have their last chance to comment on the council’s plan to build 189 new homes on a 1960s estate – half for social rent or shared ownership.

The scheme for regeneration on the De Beauvoir estate is likely to be considered by Hackney council’s planning committee this winter.

The development would see five infill sites cleared and replaced with five blocks of six storeys and a four-storey terrace of 10 homes on the estate near the Regent’s Canal. It is thought the new homes will see 416 more people move onto the estate.

The tenants’ and residents’ association office, a play area, unused garages, a contractor’s office building and a parking podium at the estate off Downham Road would be bulldozed as part of the redevelopment. No homes will be knocked down to make way for new ones.

There will also be new courtyards, two new games spaces, bike parking, and plans to plant 73 trees.

According to a recent consultation, the current play area, which will be built on, is valued by residents but “almost never used by local children and teens”.

The scheme would see changes to the car parking – with a reduction of 13 spaces in phase one of the development.

There will also be 437 cycle parking spaces, including 23 earmarked for visitors.

The council has held a series of consultation events to find out what residents think and they can comment on the plans until 1 November.

The development is part of Hackney council’s Housing Supply Programme to build 400 new homes.

The Mayor of London’s London Plan has a target of 13,280 new homes in Hackney by 2033 – with aims for at least 1,330 new properties every year.

According to the council’s planning statement, it wants “to bring more life and vibrancy” to Downham Road.

The first phase of the scheme, which is likely to go to the planning committee in the next few months, will provide 35 per cent social rent homes, with another 34 per cent classed as intermediate and 30 per cent for sale.

Overall there will be 95 affordable homes, or 50 per cent, out of the total 189 when the whole development is finished. This will include 59 council homes to rent, with the rest offered as shared ownership homes.

The council pledged that current residents with established housing needs would get first preference for the council homes and it would market the homes it plans to sell to local people.

A planning application for the second phase of the scheme for 111 more homes has not yet been submitted.

Last year, the council said Trinity Court residents would get a vote over including their homes in the scheme.

You can view the planning application for De Beauvoir estate here