FAQs

The Aylesbury Estate was built in the 1960s and 1970s to replace homes damaged by war-time bombing and as a continuation of the slum clearance programme that had started before the war.

The current layout of the estate produces a range of physical and social challenges, such as the buildings being at the end of their service life and providing poor energy efficiency; whilst the layout of the blocks make it difficult to carry out management services, as well as creating a lack of security though the estate and buildings.

These problems could not be addressed without a substantial redevelopment. Southwark Council is therefore committed to transforming the Aylesbury over the next 20 years into a stronger and more vibrant community living in high quality homes and whose residents enjoy great streets, parks and open spaces, excellent public transport and a wide range of facilities.

In September 2005, the council decided on a redevelopment strategy.  This was supported by a majority of residents.

The Aylesbury Area Action Plan (AAAP), formally adopted by Southwark Council in 2010, is the statutory planning document which establishes the framework for future development of Aylesbury Estate over the next 20 years. 

It focuses on the long-term needs of residents; the economy, employment, housing, shopping, transport, open spaces and the overall look of the area. It considers what physical changes are needed in the area that will make a positive improvement to all of these factors.

The document was approved following extensive consultation with residents.

Development partnerships comprise a long-term partnership (typically 15 to 30 years), giving the partner the opportunity to take forward the development of planning implementation activities alongside the Council. A development partnership also makes provision for the delivery of social and economic benefits as part of the regeneration.

They have a strong community role, working to make sure that the regeneration is not just about development, but also about people, supporting job creation and vulnerable residents. In the longer term, housing and area management responsibilities will also be led by the partner as more new housing is built to replace the existing blocks.

Consultation took place with the Creation Trust, which includes representatives of the four Tenant and Resident Associations on the estate. Key concerns raised by the residents were discussed and the approach to managing those concerns was incorporated into the procurement process.

Feedback from the Creation Trust and residents has informed the development of Southwark Council’s requirements at each stage. A focus group of five local residents and the director of the Creation Trust were involved throughout and they also met with and presented information to applicants, helping them further understand community issues/perspectives.

• Masterplan for the area delivering around 4200 mixed tenure homes (50% affordable of which 75% are at target/social rents for 250 years)
• Over 800 new homes on the first development site, including over 50% affordable housing
• A mix of unit sizes in line with Aylesbury Area Action Plan
• A new 250m² fully fitted community building at peppercorn rent
• 50 extra care units; mixed tenure (additional to 50% affordable homes)
• 6 homes designed for people with learning disabilities
• Extensive works will be undertaken to the surrounding public realm; remodelling Albany Road providing a new Westmoreland Square with new re-designed highways throughout the area
• New shared spaces including children’s play space and youth recreation space
• Excellent tree retention and re-provision
• An enhanced community and economic wellbeing package, which will include:
  • Funding of £250k pa for community development for 5 years as required by the council
  • Over 1,400 employment, apprenticeship and training opportunities in a range of jobs over the lifetime of the regeneration (350 delivered over the first five years)
  • Specific posts dedicated to support community and economic wellbeing in the area
  • Interim uses for vacant sites
  • Ring fenced ground rents for the delivery and ongoing maintenance of shared play areas; small parks and community gardens or other community initiatives

The development will be undertaken in phases. Work is still underway to re-house homeowners currently living on the first development site (site 1b/1c on the south-west corner).

There were a number of planning consultation events, workshops and exhibitions held in preparation for submitting a planning application for the first development site and the wider masterplan. The first events were held in May and June 2014, with more in August 2014. The first planning applications were submitted in October of that year, with final submissions in February 2015. Detailed planning permission for the first development site and outline planning for the remainder of the masterplan was granted in August 2015. Planning permission (Reserved Matters Application) for Plot 18, which is part of Phase 2, was granted in December 2016. Section 73 applications for minor material amendments to the detailed planning consent for the sites known as the First Development Site (FDS) and Plot 18 were submitted in September 2017. These are currently under consideration.

The construction of new homes is anticipated to commence in 2018, and completion of the first new homes in 2020.

Re-housing on phase 2 has started and residents have been asked to fill in housing registration forms. Decanting the blocks in Phase 2 will take approximately 3 years.

It is anticipated that the whole redevelopment will be completed around 2036.

Demolition began on the first development site in the summer of 2015, with the first new homes expected to be available in 2020.

The regeneration will include flats of one to four bedrooms, maisonettes and duplexes of two to four bedrooms, as well as large family houses with four or five bedrooms.

 The first development site will see 830 mixed tenure homes created, including:

• 304 target/social rent homes (37%)
• 102 shared ownership homes (12.3%)
• 424 private homes (51%)

Within the rest of the outline Masterplan, including Plot 18, there will be an additional 2,745 mixed tenure homes. They will be made up of: 

• 1,019 target/social rent homes (37%)
• 377 shared ownership homes (14%)
• 1,349 private homes (49%)

Based on the illustrative masterplan.

The initial figure of 4,200 homes came from the Aylesbury Area Action Plan. There has been an evolution in the design for the estate, including providing more green space, pocket parks and playgrounds for families and residents in the neighbourhood to enjoy. Also, 408 properties on the regeneration site have been built by L&Q on Site 1a and on Site 7. Taking that into account, Notting Hill Genesis will be creating 3,575 new homes in four phases.

The Aylesbury Area Action Plan defines a socially sustainable community with a range of tenures and designs to suit people of differing incomes and housing needs.

The table below illustrates the estate baseline tenures and the tenure split once the regeneration is complete.

Information is provided on a unit by unit basis as well as a habitable room (HR) basis which illustrates that there is no net loss of affordable housing through the regeneration. 

These figures are currently subject to a S73 application and will be reviewed once this has been determined.

A total of 261 new homes have been completed on phase 1A in the southwest corner of the development. In addition, a further 147 new homes have been built on Site 7, in the northeast corner of the site, next to East Street.

Both of these developments were undertaken by L&Q, working in partnership with Southwark Council.

As part of the Council’s School for the Future programme, three new schools were opened in the area: Michael Faraday, Walworth Academy, and the University Academy of Engineering (UAE) South Bank. Michael Faraday and Walworth Academy are both rated “outstanding” by Ofsted.

The regeneration of the estate will happen over many years, and the Council will continue to maintain and repair the buildings during this time. Works to the communal areas, particularly the lifts and heating, will be carried out as planned.

The Council has established an Aylesbury neighbourhood team to manage the estate over the period of the regeneration. The team acts as a central point from which a range of services are delivered. The team works with Notting Hill Genesis Trust, partners in community safety, the police and local agencies to make sure that the Aylesbury remains a safe and secure environment for existing residents and that, as more and more people move off the estate, areas are securely closed off to deter crime and anti social behaviour from occurring.

Notting Hill Genesis will provide housing management services for all homes whether private or affordable, with clear resident involvement so residents can influence decision-making and management. Southwark Council will be responsible for managing and maintaining highways and some public squares.

There are plans for community engagement in managing the public “non adopted shared spaces”, such as parks and open spaces, through resident involvement. These plans will be developed further as the regeneration progresses.

Once homes have been vacated they may be used to offer temporary accommodation to those in need until the time comes that they must be secured ahead of demolition.

Making routes through the estate safer for cyclists and pedestrians has been one of the priorities of the Masterplan. Notting Hill Genesis' design proposal for the Aylesbury area, which has been the subject of extensive local consultation, has sufficient flexibility to comply with the Cycling Strategy. Detailed proposals for each phase of the Aylesbury regeneration will come forward in future years as the development progresses and will have due regard to any policies in place at that point.

In April 2002 the Government introduced a new regime for setting rent (excluding any furniture and service charges) for all residents in Housing Association and Local Authority properties, regardless of the tenancy type. The aim was that over a 10-year period rents charged for similar properties in the same area would be about the same regardless of the social landlord. An important part of this regime is Target Rents. The Target Rent is calculated according to a formula set by the Government that is related to the market value of the property and earnings in the area. To protect tenants in high value areas the formula is capped according to the number of bedrooms. The Target Rent increases each year by a formula based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI).

The new homes available for Target Rent will be let at target/social rents for 250 years

As an example new homes at Notting Hill Genesis Camberwell Fields scheme, just a short walk away from the Aylesbury regeneration across Burgess Park, are currently being let at the following target/social rents:

Service charge - represents costs associated with managing and maintaining the building.

Please note, the government ended Target Rents in April 2015 and they are now known as social rents. In the context of the Aylesbury, you may see reference to both ‘target rents’ and ‘social rents’. These terms mean the same thing and are interchangeable.

There will be no homes charged at these levels on the Aylesbury. The affordable housing is a mix of target/social rent and Shared Ownership.

There are only a small number of leaseholders remaining on the first development site and Southwark Council is working closely with all of those involved.

Rehousing is also now underway on phase 2, and residents are being offered accommodation either in nearby areas, such as Notting Hill Genesis' new development at Camberwell Fields(the other side of Burgess Park), or elsewhere in Southwark and further afield in London, if that is where they would prefer to move to. Tenants can be rehoused in another Southwark Council property or another housing association property through the Council’s Homesearch system. Resident homeowners will be supported to find a new property by Southwark Council, or have the opportunity to move into a Notting Hill Genesis property. Rehousing on phase 3 is due to start in 2018 and on phase 4 in 2020.

All Aylesbury residents have the option to move into new homes being built on the footprint of the original estate. Those who had to move away earlier on in the regeneration have the option to return and move into new homes being built on the footprint of the original estate.
People should continue to discuss their future housing needs with their housing officers at the Taplow Area Housing Office. You can also contact Creation Southwark CIC for rehousing support: www.creationsouthwark.org. 

Southwark Council has established a dedicated Aylesbury neighbourhood team to support tenants through the rehousing process. Our aim is to find suitable new homes for tenants that meet their needs so that they only move once due to the regeneration process. There are two main options:

• Being rehoused in a new housing association property; or;
• Being rehoused in another council home.

Tenants will be able to bid for a property through Homesearch, which also allows them to bid for housing association properties. Neighbourhood officers, based at the Aylesbury Housing Office, work with tenants to help them register and use the system where needed. The lead officer will be the neighbourhood officer for your block, supported by additional officers who also have experience of regeneration.

Tenants will also be eligible for home loss compensation payment.

Where leaseholders live in their properties, Southwark Council can provide support for them to find an alternative home that is affordable for them and meets their needs. The key options which may be available are:

1. Purchasing a property on the open market
2. Purchasing a new property through a low cost home ownership scheme with Notting Hill Housing
3. Shared ownership with another housing association
4. Seeking re-housing assistance from the council (this includes shared ownership, shared equity, or a council tenancy option)

Option 2 and 3 are only available to resident leaseholders who:

• Currently live in their property as their sole or main home and have done so for a full 12 months before applying for re-housing assistance; and either:
• Submitted a successful claim for the Right to Buy on the property before 27 September 2005; or
• Bought the property from another homeowner before 27 September 2005; and
• Qualify based on their personal circumstances, according to the council’s assessment, which is primarily financial.

Further details of the support available to resident leaseholders is available in the council rehousing guide for homeowners: http://www.southwark.gov.uk/downloads/download/1079/aylesbury_homeowners_rehousing_toolkit

It should be noted that housing associations will also have certain qualification criteria that leaseholders will need to meet to enable them to secure a new home through their low cost home ownership schemes. More information on the criteria can be found at https://www.london.gov.uk/what-we-do/housing-and-land/homes-londoners/search/

Southwark Council will purchase leaseholder and freehold properties in the development area at market value. A surveyor will visit each home to allow them to make an offer based on the size and condition of the individual property. In addition to paying market value for homes, the council also pays resident homeowners an additional 10% of the value to compensate them for the loss of their home and also covers other reasonable costs incurred, such as stamp duty and moving costs.

Further details of the compensation available to leaseholders is available in the council rehousing guide for homeowners: http://www.southwark.gov.uk/downloads/download/1079/aylesbury_homeowners_rehousing_toolkit

Southwark Council is currently actively buying back all properties on the first development site (site 1b\1c) and on phase 2 (1 to 471 Wendover, Foxcote, Winslow, Padbury, Ravenstone, Brockley House and 60 to 192 Wolverton).

Leaseholders who live on the Aylesbury and are thinking of selling their home at any time are encouraged to contact the Council.

There will be various opportunities and events throughout the programme which will give residents the chance to be involved and have their voice heard. These opportunities will be provided by both Notting Hill Genesis and the Council as part of the consultation and involvement activity which will be ongoing throughout the programme.

The regeneration sub-group and Creation Trust, whose members represent the interests of residents, will also be working with the council and Notting Hill Genesis to make sure that residents voices and ideas are heard.

If you would like to be more directly involved, please contact Lorraine Gilbert, Resident Involvement Manager at Notting Hill Genesis Trust on 020 3815 0144 or email aylesbury@nhg.org.uk

Yes, however this is still very much in its infancy. Notting Hill Genesis, Southwark Council, Creation Trust, residents and local business owners will be involved in deciding how these spaces can best provide opportunities to promote local employment and new business start ups, build the capacity of existing businesses and enhance community benefit.

Creation Trust is dedicated to making sure that residents living on the Aylesbury estate receive the benefits of the regeneration of the area. These benefits are not just new homes, schools, community facilities and a much improved park and open spaces, but the social and economic benefits of regeneration, such as employment, education and training, improvements in health and well being, and a reduction in crime and anti-social behaviour.

Creation Trust wants to make sure that Walworth offers opportunities for everyone living there and is a place that people feel proud to call home. A place where residents feel safe and supported and able to reach their full potential. Over half the places on Creation’s Board of Trustees are reserved for resident members; which means that local people have real influence over the decisions that are being made about the area and the priorities of the trust’s work.

Information on re-housing, including a re-housing guide, is available on the Council's website or residents are advised to call the Aylesbury neighbourhood office.