Kensington & Chelsea has refused planning permission to housing association Affinity Sutton for the redevelopment of its William Sutton Estate, in Chelsea, SW3.
Affinity Sutton proposed demolishing 383 social rent homes and replacing them with just 343 homes. Included within that number were 106 private homes, leaving just 237 for social rent, a loss of 146 affordable units.
Kensington & Chelsea, in refusing the scheme more than a year after receiving it, said the plans “failed to demonstrate that the maximum amount of affordable housing is being provided” and as such “would result in a net loss of social rented floorspace”.
So why not maintain affordable housing density by building higher?
Kerry Kyriacou, group director of Affinity Sutton, said: “Throughout the past eight years, Affinity Sutton has engaged with the council and considered every available option for the estate.
“We have looked at the refurbishment and modernisation of the existing buildings, and the development of a larger scheme to ensure no net loss of affordable housing. Our work has culminated with the current proposal.”
A larger scheme, which would result in no net loss of affordable units, was proposed in 2008 by the housing association, but rejected by the council. The proposal included the existing floorspace, as well as private units necessary to fund the development. Buildings would have been five to eight storeys in height.
However, the plan was dismissed by the local authority as being out of keeping with Chelsea. The current scheme would have provided buildings of between four and six storeys.
If London could offer high-density mansion blocks of six or eight storeys, such as those found in other European cities, then the city could accommodate its demand for housing.
So where are we now?
Back to square one, it would seem. According to Affinity Sutton, much of the estate has been empty for years, with one-third of the homes failing to meet Decent Homes Standards.
Affinity Sutton proposed to replace more than 50% of the lost affordable housing on another new-build development within the borough, but this was not accepted by the council.
Affinity Sutton said: “The needs of our tenants are our absolute priority. If we are unable to offer them a decent place to live in Chelsea, we then may need to move them to an area where appropriate accommodation is available.
“A further application is not a viable option for us or for our tenants, given the considerable period of uncertainty that they have already endured.”
Meanwhile, at the same planning committee meeting, councillors granted consent to a nearby seven-storey scheme providing 49 private homes. The developer will pay £10m towards an off-site affordable housing scheme.
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