Marlowe Road estate regeneration: London borough of Waltham Forest

What went in

• Gross development value: circa £180 million council HRA and GLA funding.
• Timeframe to completion: Nine year programme
• Estate prior to its regeneration: Council-owned estate built in the 1960s with 162 social rented units in circa nine storey buildings, the estate suffered from a poor amenity and public realm.
• Date: 2016

What came out

• 331 new homes for social and private rent built in line with the Mayor’s Design Guide, including 145 affordable homes (98 for social rent and 47 for shared ownership) as well as 186 private homes.
• A range of new facilities for residents were also created, including the brand-new Wood Street Library, a Co-op and Post Office, public plaza in Wood Street and the Marlowe Road Energy Centre and District Heating Network.
• Designing out ASB on the estate.
• Bringing residents into the design process through workshops.
• Improving landscaping and layout of the estate.
• Improving amenities for children, young people and improving wellbeing for residents.

In 2010, an estate review identified Marlowe Road as an estate that needed immediate intervention due to the poor conditions of the homes and anti-social behaviour (ASB). This was the first major estate regeneration undertaken by the London Borough of Waltham Forest and delivers:

• New homes built in line with the London Mayor’s Design Standards.
   
• Designing out crime and ASB issues through applying Secure by Design principles.
   
• Improved design and quality for landscaping to create a place residents can enjoy.

The new development delivers 49 per cent affordable homes, all designed to the Mayor’s Design Guide standards. The scheme has also met Secure by Design standards which has helped resolve ASB on the estate. Alongside this, it has delivered high-quality public realm, a new playground for children and plaza for residents to enjoy.  New commercial units, a Post Office, a Co-operative food store for the local community and residents and a new library have also been delivered.

Background

Marlowe Road was a Council-owned estate built in the 1960s with 162 social rented units in circa 9 storey buildings, the estate suffered from a poor amenity and public realm.

Organisational context and key drivers for the project

As mentioned above, the estate was identified as the first major estate regeneration for the council in an estates review in 2010. The residents of the estate supported its regeneration, and the council worked closely with the GLA to secure grant funding to help deliver the programme. The key driver for the project was to deliver new improved homes for the existing residents of the estate, as well as additional affordable homes for those on the council’s Housing waiting list.

What we did to establish the project

Following identification of the estate as one in need of regeneration, Cabinet approval was secured in 2016 to proceed with the project. The council then procured Countryside as its development partner, and a development agreement was signed. A project board was established to monitor the project internally and this project is still reported on at a monthly basis to the council’s Housing Investment Group.

Project challenges 

Financial viability assessments were carried out at each phase and there was a challenge regarding the viability for Phase 3. The scheme was, therefore, reviewed and optimised so it could deliver more homes to improve the viability, this also enabled us to deliver more affordable homes on the estate. 

The key stages of the project were as follows:

• Engagement with existing residents on the estate, councillors and the wider community. 
   
• Working with the GLA to secure grant funding and ensuring we delivered to programme.
   
• Procuring Countryside as our development partner to deliver the regeneration programme.

The positive social economic benefits for the area have been realised through delivery of diverse commercial units and diversifying the tenure of homes within the estate, i.e. shared ownership, homes for social rent, private market homes, this has enabled the creation of a cohesive diverse and balanced community. It is now a key part of Wood Street in the centre of the Borough.

The regenerated estate supports the vibrancy of the local centre and the high street.

Lessons learned

We have learnt to develop strong working relationships and better understand the complexities of delivering large scale mixed tenure regeneration schemes with commercial partners. 

We were successful with liaising with leaseholders and freeholders in the acquisitions of the properties and carried out a complex Compulsory Purchase Order programme, the project team has gained valuable experience from this. 

What has changed because of its success? 

The lives of residents and the community have changed for the better. We have achieved the following outcomes:

• New homes for social and private rent built in line with the Mayor’s Design Guide.
• Designing out ASB on the estate.
• Bringing residents into the design process through workshops.
• Improving landscaping and layout of the estate.
• Improving amenities for children, young people and improving wellbeing for residents.

The programme was impacted by COVID-19, but officers worked hard with Countryside to make sure that the development remained on programme.

The project has been effective and delivered well. We are currently on time with the programme timeline.

What would we do differently in retrospect? 

We would have included a more genuinely green public realm as we are retrospectively increasing plants on the public square on the estate.

Are there going to be similar programmes going forward? 

We are exploring the delivery of further estate regeneration projects. Most urgently, this includes Avenue Road where, in Autumn 2023, Bellway withdraw from its partnership with the council to regenerate the estate.

Dena Rafati, Housing Strategy and Implementation Officer

[email protected]