All of the homes on the estate (1-84 Geoffrey Close, 2-28 York Close and 1-24 Canterbury Close) will be demolished and replaced with modern new homes.

Most of the new homes will be larger than existing properties with bigger kitchens and bathrooms. Each home will have a private balcony or garden, and all blocks will be served by a lift.

Tenants will be able to choose fittings such as kitchen units, worktops, and flooring from a range chosen by the Residents’ Steering Group. The new homes will be cheaper to heat and will have fibre-optic connections for high-speed broadband.
We are working to ensure that each household can park their existing vehicles on the new estate based on the vehicle ownership numbers gathered during the Housing Needs Survey.

The new buildings will be designed and built to the highest fire safety standards, with sprinklers in all blocks.

You can find further detail and artists’ impressions of the new flats, including balconies, fittings and security measures, in Riverside’s offer document.

Tenants will have an opportunity to see the final plans before we submit a planning application. Once planning permission has been agreed, we will allocate homes, primarily on the basis of need as identified in our Housing Needs Survey (conducted between October 2017 and May 2018). We will clearly set out the criteria for allocating properties in our Allocations Policy.

Currently many of you have separate kitchens and living rooms, and many tenants want to see this in their new home. The architects are therefore currently reviewing the scheme proposals to design as many units as possible with separate kitchens.

It is our intention that the majority of units will be able to accommodate a separate kitchen but this will need to be explored through detailed planning of each dwelling type to confirm the overall number of units where this can be provided. We will provide a further update once this design work has been completed.

The new homes have been designed in response to the housing needs of existing residents. The Housing Needs Survey indicates that there is a requirement for 35 3B4P homes, and only 7 3B5P homes, hence the majority of proposed 3-bed units are 3B4P homes.

The current proposal will create 454 habitable rooms, which represents an uplift of 96 habitable rooms on the estate. This is an overall 27% increase in affordable floor space which enables us to tackle the current overcrowding experienced by many residents.

All 3 and 4 bedroom homes will be built with a main bathroom and separate en-suite toilet. 1 and 2 bedroom homes will be built with a main bathroom, which will include a combined bath and WC facilities. We are unable to separate the bath and WC in the main bathroom, like some existing flat layouts, as this layout does not comply with modern design and accessibility standards.

The current space standards identified indicatively in the Building Regulations require that the bathrooms (including a WC) are a minimum 3.99m2, whilst the minimum indicatively identified for WCH units is 5.72 m2. The architects have ensured that these requirements have been met as a minimum throughout. Of the existing units surveyed, the Studio and 2B4P flats do not currently meet these requirements so many residents will get a larger bathroom.

The new design means that all floors of the new buildings will meet modern space standards and be wheelchair accessible, and suitable for tenants with disabilities or mobility issues.

Tenants who require adaptations to their property due to disability or to the disability of a family member will be given a commitment that this will be carried out before they are required to move into their new home. Any necessary adaptations will be carried out in consultation with the tenant and their household, and with the advice of an occupational therapist before moving.

The current designs include a mix of inset and projecting balconies to give the scheme variety, which is something that the planners support.

However each block will only have one type of balcony. The exception to this is the upper set‐back storey on blocks B2 & C1. The planners did not want projecting balconies on the top floor set‐back like the rest of the block, hence these are inset.

The balconies will not take up floor space in each flat. They will be separate and their size will depend on the size of the flat.

Balconies will be either glass or metal. We have previously committed that Riverside and Bellway will consult the Residents’ Steering Group regarding materials, and finishes to the new homes, including balconies. The architect will take your feedback into account and also what Planning and Design Officers say and will strike a balance.

The new blocks have been designed primarily to meet the current housing needs of existing tenants, which means there are a mix of housing types and sizes in each block. We will allocate properties in line with the Local Lettings Plan and will take into consideration people’s housing needs and preferences e.g. floor level, property outlook as far as possible when allocating properties.

We will design raised window sills in all bedrooms and there will only be a full height window in the living room.

All of the affordable blocks will have 2 lifts, all homes will be fully accessible to all, regardless of which floor you are on.

We will have modern ventilation systems to ensure damp does not become an issue. These systems are used across all of the homes Bellway builds which are flats. When we get into the detailed design process we can share more information about this and how this will work in practice.

The current proposal is to build approx 135 homes for social rent for existing tenants, and around 260 homes for sale. Revenue from the sale of these homes will help to fund the social housing being built. To solve overcrowding on the estate, we will build more two, three and four-bedroom homes for existing tenants.

The rebuilt estate will include landscaped communal spaces, accessible to all residents. There will be an increase in trees and planted areas, play areas for young children and spaces for those who want to rest and enjoy their new surroundings.
The new neighbourhood has been designed to meet ‘Secured by Design’ standards which are approved by the Metropolitan Police. Communal areas will be open and visible to residents, and with improved street lighting and modern entry systems to control access to blocks and amenities (such as bins and bike stores).

While we will try to meet specific requests – such as keeping neighbours together, which floor your new home is on or how it’s laid out – we cannot make firm promises to any household at this stage as plans may be adjusted to secure the planning permission needed for the redevelopment to go ahead.

You can find further detail and artists’ impressions of the new Lambeth neighbourhood, including block exteriors and communal areas, in Riverside’s offer document.

These will be mainly one and two-bedroom flats, with some larger family-sized homes. Riverside is committed to making all communal and play spaces on the estate accessible to all new and existing residents to help build a strong community.

Currently, all bin stores are located internally and will be accessed by a door on the road side of the external façade. This has been designed to meet refuse collection requirements. External bin stores are not the preferred option as they can be vandalised and may continue to attract fly-tipping. Additionally, any external stores would reduce the amount of landscaped open space for residents.

Access to the bin stores will be restricted to tenants and the estate caretaker to prevent unauthorised fly tipping and anti-social behaviour. Bin stores will be regularly checked and cleaned as part of the maintenance of the estate to minimise potential odours.

The number of cycle spaces that each block needs to accommodate is calculated using the London Plan and is not something we have control over as the requirements are set by the Mayor of London. Each cycle store is currently designed to provide the minimum requirement.

One option is to look at whether we can accommodate smaller cycle storage facilities on different floors rather than one large space on the ground floor of each block and we will look into this with the architects.

The number of units required in each block is determined by the Housing Needs Survey and decant strategy. This means that there are a mix of housing types and sizes in each of the proposed blocks, including 1B2P (one-bed 2 person) homes.

The decant strategy has changed following updates to the Housing Needs Survey and construction sequencing issues. We are currently working with the architects to finalise the decant strategy to ensure we can minimise disruption and meet our commitment of residents only having to move once. Riverside will re-confirm which blocks individual tenants will be moved to once the decant strategy has been finalised and we will work with you to allocate a property that meets your needs in line with the Local Lettings Plan. This sets out how the new homes will be allocated in a fair and transparent way.

Regarding any anti-social behaviour associated with the 1B2P units, Riverside will ensure that this is carefully monitored by the Estate Manager, Housing Officer and Community Safety Officer.

The floor level does not impact on having a pet. All pet owners will need to be granted written permission from Riverside to keep a pet and to sign a pet contract regardless of which floor level your new home is on.

As stated in the Offer Document, it is our intention that external parking spaces provided on the rebuilt estate will be allocated to existing tenants who currently park on the estate. We are working to ensure that the number of parking spaces provided is enough to offer each household that currently has a parking space, one in the future.

However, the total number of parking spaces we can provide will be the decision of Lambeth Planning Authority and we cannot confirm the number of spaces that will be provided at this stage. Where more parking spaces are needed for existing tenants, we will help tenants to apply for a permit to park in the local controlled parking zone. Riverside will pay for the cost of these permits for the first five years.

During the construction works we want to minimise disruption to residents and will work with Bellway to develop a temporary parking strategy. This will set out the parking and access arrangements for the site for each phase of the redevelopment. We will help any tenant temporarily losing a space to apply for a permit to park in the local controlled parking zones, which Riverside will pay for whilst parking is not provided during the works.

We are committed to making communal and open spaces accessible and inclusive for all residents living on the estate. We want to build a strong community between new and existing residents and we will promote access to and use of open spaces for all residents to avoid any feeling of segregation between social and private tenants.

The community centre has been located in a social rent block so that it will be built in an early phase for residents to use. The existing Mo Gorman community centre is located in a residential block and this has worked well for residents using the facility.

The new centre will be built to modern design standards with efficient insulation to minimise noise disruption for those living above the centre.

We considered various options for moving the centre due to resident feedback. However, we have found that the relocation of the community centre to another social rent block would have implications on the decant strategy of that block and create delays to some residents being re-housed. Also, if the community centre was relocated to a private sale block, it would create management issues and would result in the facility being inaccessible until the end of the construction programme.

A final option was considered for a standalone community centre but this is not the preferred option as it would reduce the amount of space for parking and open space.

Providing post boxes in the communal areas would improve the security of the new blocks and meets Secured by Design standards. This option is preferred as post can be delivered without needing to provide access to the whole building.

However, if we are to pursue having individual door letter boxes, we would need to check whether Royal Mail would be happy to deliver to every front door. If agreed, we would need to provide a fob to Royal Mail so they can enter each block.

The estate will meet Secured by Design Standards approved by Metropolitan Police. Through the design of the buildings we will make the estate safe and secure by providing CCTV and improving street lighting. We will create safe homes by providing secure front doors with intercom entry systems and fob-controlled access to buildings. Communal open spaces will have gated access for residents to use and enjoy and will be overlooked by nearby homes to allow for supervision.

Yes – as part of the design of the estate, there will be step-free access to all of the homes.

During construction there will be no onsite parking. Those tenants that currently have parking permits on site will be granted parking permits that we will pay for in the Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ) during construction. Thereafter those with current disabled parking permits will have these re-provided on site. The rest of the estate will be provided with a CPZ parking permit which Riverside will pay for five years; this will allow you to park in the surrounding roads.

Tenants that currently have a parking permit on the estate will be issued with a CPZ parking permit, Riverside will pay for this for five years. A survey has been carried out which shows capacity for parking within the surrounding CPZ.

The parking permits will be available once construction starts and you are no longer able to park on the estate.  We will write to you to confirm the timeline and process around this over the next couple of months.

The scheme has not changed as a direct result of coronavirus as there is no requirement to do this, however homes will be designed so that every household will have a private outdoor space, improved ventilation and outdoor areas for everyone to enjoy.  The quality and sustainability of homes will also make them more accessible for all residents for years to come.

The building of Block A is likely to take one-two years and will impact the view and potentially light depending on where your property is situated within Canterbury Close. This will be a temporary arrangement and we will do our best to limit the impact from the building site on existing homes. When we have obtained a planning consent we will discuss with Bellway as our contractor the likely impact for residents whilst they are on site and share this information with you.

We have ensured through our design that we make as many of the new homes dual aspect as possible which means natural light can enter from different directions. We are designing the scheme so that is complies with daylight and sunlight guidance to ensure that no homes are disproportionately affected by the height of buildings that are close to them. Whilst the heights have increased the footprint of the building has been reduced which has a positive effect on the daylight/sunlight for homes next to the new buildings.

All residents will be given the opportunity to use the gym. We have not yet designed the internal space in the gym but it will be 70m2 which is about the same size as 2 bedroom flat. We will discuss with residents the likely costs and how they can sign up to use the gym once we are on site.

We can explore deliveries in more detail with you at a later stage but it is likely that you have to be at home to receive any deliveries for you. Alternatively, we could have secure entrances to each block which require a fob to enter past the post boxes.  This would provide additional security whilst allowing for smaller deliveries.

We are working through options for how the gym is paid for, it may be that residents pay for membership to the gym (a low amount) or a minimal amount is paid by all residents within their service charge. We will discuss with residents the likely costs and how they can sign up to use the gym once we are on site.

Our proposal to secure the entrances to the site will help to ensure that only residents who live on the site can use the open spaces. All areas across the new development are for residents living in both private and affordable homes.

We can look at signage options, however as only residents who live on the estate will use these areas, this will help to ensure that spaces are used respectfully.

Riverside is in a joint venture partnership with Bellway, one of the UK’s largest house builders, to develop the new Lambeth estate.

Bellway was selected as our preferred developer partner in early 2018 following a detailed and robust tender process. Bellway is committed to working with tenants to understand what they want the future estate to look like.

Bellway has attended a number of consultation events, Resident Steering Group meetings and site visits to work with tenants through the design consultation process and this relationship will continue throughout the planning and construction stages.

We appreciate that tenants have not seen much happening. But over the last six months we have been busy working in the background to fine tune the design plans with the architect and developer. We have also been working with our partners, including the GLA, to ensure that financial arrangements are in place to make the project possible. We have had meetings with local authority planners and have resolved a number of issues around the design of the scheme.

After further consultation with tenants, we will develop a detailed planning application. Once this is submitted to the local authority, it takes a minimum of 13 weeks to get approval.

We hope to submit a planning application by summer 2020 and start building in 2021. View our timeline here.

Riverside will make a Home Loss payment of £6,300 to all tenants on the estate at the time they move into their new home. We will also pay a Disturbance Allowance, which includes moving costs.

We have planned redevelopment work so that our tenants only have to move once. New homes will be ready for tenants to move into before the old homes are demolished. However, tenants also have the option to be temporarily re-housed off the estate while work is underway, subject to the availability of suitable accommodation.

You can find details of compensation and tenants’ ‘Right to Return’ in our Residents’ Charter.

Tenants choosing to move away from the estate permanently – not taking up the offer of a newly-built home – will also be offered this compensation when they leave the estate.

Please talk to the ITA via the Source Partnership website if you want to explore these options.

We will begin to provisionally allocate properties once planning permission has been granted. The new blocks have been designed primarily to meet the current housing needs of our existing tenants and once Lambeth Council have approved the plans we will begin to allocate properties for each phase in line with the decant strategy, Local Lettings Plan and your housing needs and preferences.

We will work with you to allocate a property that accommodates your needs and will carry out affordability checks to ensure that the property also meets your financial needs. If a tenant does not accept the first offer of a new home and can demonstrate the allocated property was unreasonable and did not suit their housing need, Riverside will make one further offer of a property in line with their housing need, either within the redevelopment or off-site.

We are always working with the rules and regulations that are in place. If the London Plan changes, there will be a draft for us to look at and, where necessary, we will incorporate changes from the draft into our designs.

Previously in phase one, we were going to build two blocks at the same time. Now we can only build Block A first, this will be built in the car park on Kenbury Street, we then need 71-84 Geoffrey to move into Block A in order to build Block B1 and B2. Unfortunately the mix of homes within Block A cannot accommodate the need of residents currently living in 1-24 Canterbury, hence they cannot move first.

The design of your estate has evolved through consultation with you the tenants, the GLA and Lambeth Council; the changes made are in response to feedback from all stakeholders. We are confident the scheme is now at a stage which incorporates all feedback and unlikely to change, unless Lambeth planners request amendments or reject the application. We will share with you the scheme we submit for planning.

Now that consultation with you prior to planning submission has finished, our next steps will be to hold a series of events to talk to you about the construction and demolition phases and how that will impact on each block, there will be further details on this over the next couple of months.

We would need to assess the condition of your home before considering a transfer, please contact your housing officer, David Wade on 0345 111 0000 to book an appointment to assess the condition of your home.

Tenants will be provided with a new home on the same tenancy type and with the same security that they have now.

Rents will be kept at the existing rent levels for all tenants whose number of bedrooms remain the same. If you move into a smaller or larger home, you will be charged the average rent for that sized home.

Any future tenancies created will be charged London Affordable Rents that are set by the GLA (Greater London Authority). We will continue to consider service charges throughout the design process with a view to keeping them to a minimum. Riverside will agree the improved services with tenants to ensure they are getting value for money and that charges remain affordable.

Essential repairs and maintenance work will continue to be carried out on all existing homes while redevelopment is underway.

You can report a repair by phone on 0345 111 0000 or via My Riverside.

We recognise that residents will be affected by the works and will ensure that Bellway produces a construction management plan to set out how disruption to residents will be minimised. This will include measures for removing dirt or dust caused by works through the increased cleaning of windows/communal areas and doors. Should cars require cleaning due to the works, this will be arranged.

Your Housing Officer will continue to hold weekly surgeries for you to raise any maintenance concerns and Bellway will provide a named resident liaison officer with contact details (advertised to everyone and on-site hoardings) to ensure that residents have an on-site point of contact in case of problems during construction.

Once the work is complete, Riverside and Bellway will agree an estate management plan for the new estate to ensure that caretaking/cleaning and landscape maintenance services are provided, regardless of the tenure. We will ensure the estate is maintained and kept in good repair through regular estate inspections, which tenants will be invited to.

The guardians occupy the flats on a licence agreement, they do not have and will not have the right to a new home on the estate.

The Residents’ Steering Group represents tenants living on the estate throughout the redevelopment process.

The Steering Group is made up of volunteer residents. The group meets every month with Source Partnership, Riverside and other partners in the redevelopment, and are actively involved in decision making.

All Riverside tenants living on the estate are welcome to join the Steering Group at any time. Simply speak to the ITA via the Source Partnership website if you are interested in getting involved.

The Independent Tenants’ Advisor (ITA) for tenants living on the estate is Source Partnership.

Source Partnership was selected by the Residents’ Steering Group as the best organisation to provide independent support during the redevelopment process.
Source Partnership’s role is to ensure that tenants have a say in the redevelopment proposals for the estate. They provide impartial advice and support to ensure that tenants know their rights and their options.

You can find out more or contact your ITA via the Source Partnership website.

We will visit you at home to discuss your needs and where a suitable Riverside property cannot be identified, we will work with other service providers and the local authority to find alternative accommodation to meet your needs as far as possible.

Tenants who live on the estate will be treated as a priority transfer should they wish to move off the estate. Riverside will offer options for temporary or permanent rehousing off the estate, subject to the availability of a suitable property.

Tenants moving on a temporary basis will have the right to return and a new home will be provided in the redevelopment that meets their housing need. Tenants moving off the estate on a permanent basis will lose their right to return.

We are working with the housing team to identify transfers for those that wish to move off the estate. Stock in the local area is limited with very few homes becoming available to re-let. Please do contact your housing officer, David Wade for an update on your transfer.