Regeneration
- Can refurbishment solve the problems on Wornington Green?
- No, refurbishment will not solve many of the problems on Wornington Green, such as chronic overcrowding, under-occupancy, poor building design and layout. Full regeneration is the only option to tackle these problems.
- Will Wornington Green be looked after until all the works are finished?
- Yes. We are committed to keeping Wornington Green in the best possible condition before, throughout and after the regeneration has taken place.
- What will the regeneration involve?
- Each block of flats and houses will eventually be demolished, to enable the construction of the new homes. This process will be completed over a period of approximately 10 years. This means that as many tenants as possible will be able to move out of their present homes directly into new homes.
- Will the additional height of buildings on Portobello Road affect neighbouring properties’ exposure to daylight?
- The plans for Wornington Green include reinstating a traditional street pattern to the Estate, meaning that surrounding properties and streets will blend with new buildings. The plans for the new building heights have not been viewed as impacting on neighbouring properties exposure to daylight.
- When will things start to change?
- We submitted a planning application to the Council in November 2009. As our plans have now been fully approved, construction work will start in autumn 2010. It is expected that the full regeneration will be completed by around 2020.
- It is true that KHT cannot afford to carry out the regeneration because of the credit crunch?
- No, we can afford to complete the full regeneration of Wornington Green. The proposed private properties will partly finance the regeneration, but given that it is a long-term scheme the housing market will not be at its current levels when the private properties are ready
- Will we lose access to the park while the construction work is being completed?
- No – although part of the park will need to be built on to avoid tenants needing to be rehoused away from Wornington Green, at least 50% of Athlone Gardens will be kept for community use throughout the construction process. The final park will be at least the same size as the existing Athlone Gardens.
- Where will works start?
- We have produced a phasing strategy which outlines where the regeneration will start – please see the latest news page for more information on Phase 1.
- How noisy will it be during the works?
- Building works can be noisy. To minimise disruption and to meet health and safety requirements, we will ensure that works are safely separated from occupied homes.
- Are there any plans to refurbish some of the properties in the later phases?
- As the regeneration proposals cover up to 12 years, KHT will complete improvement works in some of the blocks to improve living conditions for residents until the new homes are ready. KHT’s Decent Homes Programme began in April 2010.
