Central Hill Estate

Central Hill estate
Central Hill estate
Location Norwood, Lambeth, London
Coordinates 51°25′16″N 0°05′16″W / 51.421058°N 0.087737°W / 51.421058; -0.087737
Status Proposed
Construction
Architect Ted Hollamby
Authority London Borough of Lambeth

Central Hill is a social housing estate in the London Borough of Lambeth. It was designed by Rosemary Stjernstedt and the Lambeth Council planning department during the directorship of Ted Hollamby. It comprises more than 450 homes built in 1966-74 near the site of the former Crystal Palace. Lambeth Council plans to demolish the estate so that it can build an extra 400 homes, many for private sale, so that it can finance the construction of new social housing.[1]

Lambeth Council contends that homes suffer from damp and that the design of the estate encourages crime. Residents say that the crime rate is less than average and that problems with the buildings are the result of lack of maintenance by the council.[1]

Architects PRP were appointed to explore redevelopment options for the estate in 2015[2] and on March 24, 2017, Lambeth Council reached a decision to completely demolish the estate.[3][4] Campaign group Architects For Social Housing have been working with residents to develop an alternative regeneration plan for the estate, and residents continue to oppose the demolition of the estate.[5]

History

Central Hill estate was built in two phases by Lambeth Council in 1967-1974. Rosemary Stjernstedt was brought in by Hollamby from the LCC and Ted Happold from Arup & Partners to advise on structural engineering.[6]

In 2016, Historic England was criticised by the Twentieth Century Society for its decision to not list the estate for its historical value.[7]

Description

The 162 flats and 212 houses are laid out in terraces of pale grey brick. It was conceived as a holistic community which epitomised the cradle to grave welfare state mentality of its designers and included a nurses' hostel, a day centre for the elderly and a doctors' surgery.[6]

  1. 1 2 Moore, Rowan (2016-01-31). "Housing estates: if they aren't broken…". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 2017-10-23.
  2. "Central Hill estate residents in Upper Norwood voice their concerns over Lambeth's regeneration plans". Brixton Buzz news, features and listings for Brixton, London. 2015-03-25. Retrieved 2017-10-23.
  3. Tobin, Olivia (2017-04-09). "An entire housing estate in Crystal Palace is going to be demolished". croydonadvertiser. Retrieved 2017-10-23.
  4. Ltd, Hemming Group (2017-03-16). "Lambeth officers recommend 'full rebuilding' of estate". Retrieved 2017-10-23.
  5. "Residents challenge council plans to demolish their homes". openDemocracy. 2017-07-07. Retrieved 2017-10-23.
  6. 1 2 Bird / Price, Edmund / Fiona (2015). Lambeth Architecture 1965-99. London: Lambeth Archives and Lambeth Local History Forum. pp. 78–78. ISBN 978-0-9926695-3-9.
  7. "Anger as Central Hill is rejected for listing". Architects Journal. Retrieved 2017-10-23.
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