Planning and urban design consultancy Turley Associates, acting on behalf of Orbit South and Wates Living Space, has secured planning permission to transform a high-rise estate in the London Borough of Bexley into a new 620 home community.
The £100m proposals, partly funded by the Greater London Authority, will completely regenerate the Larner Road area in Erith, South East London.
The five year regeneration scheme, which was granted subject to Section 106 agreement legal approval on 13 December, represents one of the largest projects of its type in London. It will be co-ordinated by Orbit Homes and the area will be managed by Orbit South. Orbit’s partners are the London Borough of Bexley and Wates Living Space.
Sarah Stevens, Director at Turley Associates said: “Work on the site is scheduled to start in March 2013 with the first homes ready in 2015. Once demolition begins, Larner Road’s tower blocks will be torn down and replaced with a mix of houses and low rise apartments for affordable rent, private sale and low cost home ownership.”
Vivien Knibbs, Orbit South Managing Director, said: “This milestone decision enables us to press on with our plans to create a thriving community. To say that Larner Road will be transformed is an understatement.
“Once complete, it will become a new neighbourhood of streets and gardens where local people want to live and a public green space for all of the community to enjoy.”
The first phase under the plans proposes building 66 homes for sale, 82 for shared ownership and 195 for rent to create a mixed community. Open space, including The Dell nature area, will also be improved.
The plans were developed with input from local people, including a design workshop run with residents by the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment.
