WESTBURY REGENERATIONImportant Information about Your Estate

Summary of workshop and training session on Thursday 3rd September 2015Thursday 10th September 2015 Westbury Regeneration Newsletter 3

LANDSCAPE WORKSHOP: How is the open space on Westbury Estate used at

present and how might it best be used once the estate is

regenerated to incorporate need for public space,

private space, car parking, recreation & play etc.

LAMBETH’S AIM:These workshops are taking place within the context that Lambeth Council will be going ahead with regeneration on Westbury Estate. New homes will be built and some demolition will very likely happen.

A paper containing objectives for the regeneration scheme will be submitted by Lambeth to Cabinet on the 9thNovember 2015. These workshops are an opportunity for residents to influence this paper.

NEXT WORKSHOP

TOPIC:

DESIGN & SECURITYDATE:

THURSDAY 17th SEPTEMBER 2015

6.30 - 8.30 PM

LOCATION:

AMESBURY TOWER TRA ROOM

STUDY TRIP (new date)JOIN US ON A STUDY TRIP TO SEE OTHER

REGENERATION PROJECTS & EXAMPLES OF NEW HOUSING.

TRANSPORT & LUNCH WILL BE PROVIDED

SATURDAY 26th SEPTEMBER 2015 10.30 - 4.30pmContact Diana on 0203 735 7629 to book a place

INDEPENDENT DESIGN ADVISOR:An independent design advisor has been commissioned via CABE (Commission for Architecture & Built Environment) to support Westbury residents and be an impartial voice over the regeneration project. Residents were given the opportunity to meet two potential candidates before, during and after the workshop and have selected Kay Hughes to work with. A first meeting with Kay will take place on 10th September at 6.30pm in the TRA Room.

• Supporting residents to ask questions of the design team or ask questions on their behalf.

• Questioning the assumptions of the design team.• Explaining technical details and jargon as required.

Independent Advisors Exploring Landscape & Open Space on Westbury EstateTwo types of independent advisors will be funded by Lambeth to support residents through the regeneration project. An Independent Design Advisor who will work alongside residents regarding the physical changes to Westbury Estate and an Independent Resident Advisor who will support residents to assess the impact of the different regeneration options.

Create a large public space with taller buildings around it allowing for lower buildings in other areas.Lambeth Policies:

Open Space: For new flatted developments an open space of at least 50m2 per scheme plus a further 10m2 per flat provided as a private space or consolidated with the communal space. Parking provision does not count as open space.

Play Space: Any development must provide 10sq.m of open space per child which is likely to mean 3 times as much dedicated play space as is provided at the moment. Balconies: Balcony sizes range between 4 - 9 sq.m depending upon the size of the dwelling.

The most efficient form of parking is on street parking.

Open Space0.7

hectaresPublic Open Space

Key Issues for Landscape & Open Space

Independent Design Advisor

Independent Resident Advisor

and after the workshop on the 3rd September and based on these conversations selected Kay Hughes to support them.

Their Role:Kay will be attending the remaining workshops, the study trip on the 26th September and will meet with the residents on three separate occasions without Lambeth, or any other members of the design team, being present. Their role will likely include:• Highlighting the key issues to ensure they are being

addressed by the design team.• Supporting residents to understand the decision making

process and the implications of these decisions.

Their Selection:Lambeth have shortlisted 4 companies who have experience and skills to provide Independent Resident Advisor services to Westbury Estate and are currently going through the process of consulting with the Lambeth Leaseholder Council and Tenants Council to obtain their comments and confirm whether they are happy with the proposed companies. When final comments have been received and responded to Lambeth will be in a position to present the companies to the residents for them to select which company they would like to work with. Their Role:It is intended that the Independent Resident Advisor will be commissioned to support the TRA and residents through the process of examining options for the regeneration of the estate and will include ensuring residents are well informed. When a company is selected we will be in a position to share more detail on their role.

Combining Ideas on Density & Open SpaceAs described in the last newsletter density is a key issue for understanding the number of new homes that will be built. An estimated target would be150 dwellings per hectare (dph) which is just under double the existing density. However, density cannot be debated without considering open space and priorities for it’s use. Residents who chose to take part in the workshop design activity were given scale blocks representing housing at a density of 150 dph and areas of parking, public open space, communal space and private gardens. Working in two groups people were asked to combine housing and open space to create the types of spaces they would like to see and then discuss the priorities and concerns with these ideas.

Priorities: This group wanted to look for ways to provide more parking on the estate and created a large public space with on street parking around the edges. 4 storey buildings could create communal courtyards only for resident use.

Create on street parking along a road that links St Rule St and the entrance to Westbury Estate.

Possibility for a first phase of housing. Courtyard spaces for

residents use only. Private gardens for ground floor properties could back out onto communal spaces.

Concerns about this idea: This group considered how any development might be phased to allow existing residents to move straight into new properties. They discussed building a first phase of housing on the open space in front of Amesbury Tower.

Metropolitan workshop gave a presentation on the types of open spaces that could be provided and important considerations residents should take into account as the design process moves forward, including Lambeth’s policies on open space.

Communal Open Space Private Open Space

Spaces that anybody can access.

Spaces that are for use by residents only but do not belong to any one resident.

Spaces that relate to individual homes, i.e. private gardens.

Metropolitan workshop invited Phil Jones, a transport engineer, to talk to residents about how parking provision is calculated and ways of integrating parking into the open space.

Parking:Critically residents wanted reassurance that they would retain their access to parking.

People were concerned how Lambeth would manage car free homes for new residents.

NB. A full version of both presentations is available on www.westburyestate.co.uk

Important Open Space Considerations:1. Ensuring open space is overlooked and has natural surveillance to make it feel safer.2. Consider the relationship between trees and buildings.3. Make sure communal spaces are accessible to all including prams and wheelchair users.4. Consider privacy between neighbouring homes.5. Consider the management and maintenance to make sure open space remains high quality.

Create a large public space that links Wandsworth Road to Heathbrook Park.

Open Space0.8

hectares

Priorities: This group wanted to provide open space for a range of ways of living so that you have communal spaces with and without play provision, private gardens, public space and on street parking. This allows different open spaces to reflect different people’s preferences.

Communal courtyards - some with play provision and some without.

Areas of private gardens perhaps for more family orientated housing.

Concerns about this idea: This group questioned policy of mixing up housing sizes and wondered if there could be a whole block of 1 bedroom apartments for example. There were also questions over whether the open space in front of the towers could be better used.

Create on street parking along a road that links St Rule St and Portsdale Road.

If we exclude the open space in front of towers then there is 0.4 hectares of usable open space around the lowrise buildings.

There is 1.09 hectares of usable open spaceacross the whole of Westbury Estate

Challenge:Can we create a higher density

housing scheme with at least as much open

space provided?

Their Selection:CABE is a charity with a pool of expert advisors and based on their skills in resident engagement, regeneration and housing projects, biographies of two potential advisors and a proposal for services was sent to residents on the 7th August 2015 by CABE. Residents met independently with the two candidates before, during

Kay Hughes

Timetable of Upcoming ActivitiesDate Activity Where When Led by

Thursday 17th September

Workshop 4: Design & Security

Amesbury Tower TRA Room

6.30 - 8.30pm Metropolitan Workshop & make:good

Saturday 19th September

Exhibition 1: sharing initial ideas & draft objectives for cabinet paper.

Amesbury Tower TRA Room

11am - 6pm Metropolitan Workshop & make:good. Lambeth will also be available for a drop in Q&A.

Saturday 26th September

Study Trip to other estate projects (must confirm attendance)

Visiting 4 housing estates in East London.

10.30 - 4.30pm

Metropolitan Workshop & make:good

Thursday 8th October

Workshop 5: Height, Size, Shape

Amesbury Tower TRA Room

6.30 - 8.30pm Metropolitan Workshop & make:good

Saturday 17th October

Exhibition 2: sharing proposals & final draft objectives for cabinet paper.

Amesbury Tower TRA Room

11am - 6pm Metropolitan Workshop & make:good Lambeth will also be available for a drop in Q&A.

Project AimIn July every household will have received a letter from Lambeth Council confirming they are moving ahead with a regeneration scheme on the Westbury Estate. This will involve the building of new homes and very likely the demolition of existing buildings. When referring to demolition, which buildings and how many buildings is not yet decided nor is the exact number of homes. However, it is known that the tower blocks will not be demolished.

Workshop AimAt the first workshop three aims were agreed for the workshops:1. To explore how many homes could be built & the amount of demolition required to create a new high quality neighbourhood at Westbury. These ideas will influence the objectives set out within the board paper submitted to Cabinet in November 2015.2. To build skills within residents to participate in the ongoing design process for the estate.3. To share information gathered in the workshops across Westbury Estate so that as many people as possible are aware of what is happening.

Cabinet PaperThe cabinet paper that Lambeth will be preparing for 9th November will contain masterplan objectives

for the Westbury Estate. These will include information such as:• How many new homes Lambeth

will aim to provide.• The extent of any demolition

required.• Key features to be retained.• Key guarantees for residents.

A draft version of these will be shared at the exhibition on the 19th September for residents to provide feedback on. This feedback will be incorporated into the objectives shared at the exhibition on the 17th October.

Following October’s exhibition the final deadline for providing feedback to the council on these objectives will be 23rd October.

Other QuestionsWe are aware that there are lots of other questions around how this will impact on existing tenants and leaseholders and Lambeth have held two drop in sessions to answer questions. A summary of these questions has been distributed with this newsletter, however, if you would like to speak to representatives from Lambeth they will also be available at the exhibitions to answer questions.

Useful DocumentsWe have set up a dedicated website and uploaded some background documents people may

find useful including:• Draft Information for

Secure Tenants including key guarantees from Lambeth

• Draft Information for Homeowners including key guarantees from Lambeth

• Westbury Estate Housing Needs Survey

• Frequently asked questions for Lambeth Council answered by Julian Hart.

Further CommentsThe third workshop was attended by 17 residents and 1 ward councillor. We know that people who attend these sessions will not be elected representatives of the estate therefore please submit additional comments via:Phone: 0203 725 7629E-mail: diana@make-good.comOnline: www.westburyestate.co.uk/commentswww.facebook.com/WestburyEstateOr come along to the next workshop on Thursday 17th Sep.

STUDY TRIP26th September 2015

Bus will leave from outside Amesbury

Tower at 10.30 am & drop off at 4.30pm