The next stage of the demolition and replacement of the notorious council blocks on Regina Road will be discussed at a Town Hall meeting on Monday night – with Croydon’s Tory Mayor about to deliver around 200 council homes which will be available at social rents. All thanks to a multi-million-pound grant provided by London’s Labour Mayor.
Demolition date: the first of the notorious Regina Road blocks has been vacated. Demolition is due to begin later this year
A demolition schedule for the South Norwood estate has been drawn up to remove the three 60-year-old, Wates-built tower blocks and some surrounding housing, to be replaced by at least 200 social rent council homes and up to 25 leaseholder or freeholder flats, plus a community kindergarten.
That will be followed by the development of at least 155 money-spinning private homes in a second phase of building. By the time of completion, the council will have virtually doubled the number of homes currently on the site.
The council’s plans, following a consultation with residents held last year, have been made possible by a £54million grant from the Greater London Authority – more than half of the council’s £103million budget for the demolition and rebuild.
Regina Road made national headlines three years ago, when ITV News showed the appalling conditions in the flats, with mould down the walls and water running through ceilings, making the properties dangerous and uninhabitable. The “slum-like conditions” were described as “dangerous squalor” in the television news report.
Demolition is now due to start earlier than previously suggested, later this year.
Time to go: the Regina Road estate area, where 190 homes are to be demolished and replaced with nearly 400
The council report to Monday’s cabinet meeting states that all tenants in the first 44-flat tower block (1-87 Regina Road) have already been rehoused, many of them moved into the Brick by Brick new build properties at Trellis Mews. “This will enable the council to handover an empty building to the demolition contractor… to commence as soon as the contract has been awarded,” the report says.
The demolition of the two neighbouring blocks, 89 to 99 and 101 to 123 Regina Road, is expected to follow soon after.
The redevelopment plan also covers five medium-rise blocks (containing 50 flats) and nine two-storey houses.
Events with no venue: the council’s consultation appears somewhat short on detail
“The council is actively rehousing residents across the estate who have expressed an
interest in an ‘early move’.” Those living in “properties in disrepair/poor quality” are having their moves treated as a priority, the report says.
“The council will continue to work closely with Regina Road residents to make sure they are at the heart of the plans for the estate,” a release from the propaganda bunker in Fisher’s Folly says, with a public consultation (another one), this time looking at design plans ahead the planning application for the redevelopment of the estate later this year.
A public exhibition, webinar, online survey and even “a family fun day” (exciting!) are supposed to be taking place.
Two consultation events have already been held. A third is due to be staged this Tuesday, July 16, but the council website fails to provide any information as to the venue for this event.
And there’s no sign of the latest online design consultation to be found easily on the dedicated council website http://www.croydon.gov.uk/ReginaRoad
Once again, the scheme exposes how Tory Jason Perry, the not-very-executive Mayor of Croydon, is entirely dependent on outside bodies – in this case the Greater London Authority – to make any progress whatsoever.
Perry called the GLA grant “great news”.
He said, “We have listened and worked closely with the GLA to develop the plans and the decision to award such a significant grant demonstrates their confidence in our regeneration project. This is a huge achievement overcoming many legacy issues for Croydon.”
Read more: This is council’s chance to do more than just the bare minimum
Read more: London Mayor steps in with £53.8m grant for Regina Road
Read more: Croydon shamed over ‘dangerous squalor’ in council flats
Read more: Investigation finds systemic failure and incompetence in council
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