Wornington Green - Second Draft Planning Brief

Summary

Wornington Green is likely to be redeveloped. A planning application from Kensington Housing Trust is expected this year. This summary is provided to help people that live on the Estate to understand what this means for them if planning permission is granted.

What would happen if the development goes ahead?

If you are currently a tenant on the Estate, and you want to remain at Wornington Green, you will be guaranteed a home on the new development. The Council will require a phasing plan as part of the redevelopment that will allow the vast majority of residents who want to stay on the Estate to move from their old home straight into the new one. You will be offered a new home that meets your housing needs. If you want to own your own home, you will be given the option of shared ownership. This is important so that, as far as possible, the existing community can be kept together.

The Council is requiring at least as many social rented homes as there are at the moment, but also expects these to meet the needs of existing tenants. This may involve a different mix of social rented homes being provided than there is at present.

How long would it take?

On a short timescale, it could still take 10 years. The Council will require the scheme to be built in the fastest time practicable to minimise disruption to everyone on the Estate and around it. The Council will require plans to keep disruption from dust, noise and construction traffic to a minimum.

What about the park?

The park may well have to move. Building the first phase of development on some of the existing park could significantly reduce the overall time of redevelopment. It would also mean that the Council will be able to avoid the vast majority of residents having to move more than once. If the park stays put, disruption to people’s lives could be much greater.

If redevelopment goes ahead, the Council will require:

• a single park to be reprovided that is at least as large as Athlone Gardens and that will be owned by the Council.

• a quality open space at least half the size of Athlone Gardens to be available throughout the life of the redevelopment.

What would the new homes be like?

The new social rented homes will be built to the same internal space standards as now. This is known as the ‘Parker Morris’ standard. You will be offered a new home that meets your housing needs. If you have an off-street parking space at present, you will be offered a new off-street parking space. The new flats will be energy efficient and also use less water.

What would the new development be like if planning permission is granted?

The Council will allow private housing to be built to fund the reprovision of the social rented housing. A financial appraisal must be submitted and independently assessed to show how much private housing is required. If there is scope without compromising quality, additional private, social rented and intermediate housing will be provided.

The Council is requiring a larger number of family units for social rent than at present on the Estate. You will not be able to tell the difference between the social rented and market housing from the outside and they must also have similar amenities. The internal space standards in the social rented accommodation will be better.

The development will have the feel of traditional streets with lots of doors and windows opening onto the public areas to make it feel safer. There will be a variety of building heights and from the street the highest building will be 8 storeys. The higher the buildings, the wider the streets will need to be.

Portobello Road will be reconnected to Ladbroke Grove and be managed through design and highway measures to discourage its use for through traffic.

There will be a mix of uses along the Portobello Road as part of the new development. The quality of the streets will be of a very high standard.

This summary does not form part of the Supplementary Planning Document.