• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

MayorWatch

London News and Comment

  • NEWS
  • Twitter

New City Hall guidance says tenants should have right of return following estate regenerations

December 13, 2016 - Martin Hoscik@MayorWatch

Local residents and communities should be consulted before existing housing estates are demolished or redeveloped according to new guidance published today by Mayor Sadiq Khan.

The regeneration of council and housing association estates has been controversial as many schemes have led to a reduction in the number of homes available at social rent levels, forcing residents either to leave their community or pay far higher rents for the replacement homes.

Today’s guidance, which will be consulted on before being officially adopted, says all tenants should have the right to return to their estate and pay “the same or similar” level of rent as they did for their old property.

In addition, the guidance says landlords and developers should aim to ensure households only move once during the regeneration process to minimise disruption.

Mr Khan said: “When done well, regeneration can be a positive way of protecting and improving housing estates in our great city. It offers the chance to improve the quality of housing and nearby public space, as well as building more and new affordable homes.

“Many councils are developing good practice in examples of estate regenerations across the capital – through this guide, I want to bring together the approaches that have worked well.

“I hope this guide will help to show that when local residents are involved from the start, and when key principles are followed, estate regeneration can help us build a city for all Londoners.”

Although the guidance is not legally binding, City Hall says it will form part of the conditions for any schemes it helps to fund.

However Sian Berry, a Green party member of the London Assembly and housing campaigner, says the document “reads like a manual for councils to get their demolition plans through” without properly involving local residents.

Ms Berry branded the document’s provisions “vague and more or less useless” for neighbourhoods seeking to hold councils to account for planning decisions.

She commented: Even the Government produced more useful guidelines last week, which set out clear steps for landlords and councils in a way that was at least specific and transparent, even if it didn’t give practical power to residents to make their own plans.

“This draft from the Mayor actually tells councils not to waste their time consulting on ‘nonviable’ options when the right time to go to residents is before you have developed any options at all.

“It actively discourages councils from using ballots and its definition of a meaningful final say is for councils to ‘consider views’ and then explain why they’re going ahead anyway.

“The gaping hole in these guidelines is any way for residents to propose their own ideas and have these assessed.

“I have been asking the Mayor to provide expertise and grants for residents to get involved in planning at an early stage and develop their own proposals but this principle is nowhere to be seen.”

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)

RECENT UPDATES

Tube and rail users to benefit from Oyster weekly fares cap

Mayor and TfL call on ministers to help plug funding gap

Tube to get full mobile phone coverage from 2024

TfL says Direct Vision Standard is already making HGVs safer for London road users




POPULAR

City Hall to move to Docklands as Mayor seeks to raise £55m for frontline services

‘Concern’ over TfL’s ability to deliver major projects in wake of Crossrail cost overruns

City Hall halts London Overground ticket office closures but many will still see opening hours reduced

Transport for London confirms bus cuts will go ahead despite passenger opposition

GOT A STORY?

As the original London news and scrutiny site we've been casting an eye over the capital's public services and politicians since 1999.

 

Many of our top stories started with a tip-off from a reader - if you've got something you'd like us to cover get in touch and we'll do the rest.

Stay In Touch

  • E-mail
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Copyright © 2022 · Terms of Use · Privacy Policy

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.