Cressingham Gardens Demolition Decision: Protest

On 13 July 300 people attended a protest at Lambeth Town Hall to protest against Lambeth Council's decision to proceed with the full demolition of the estate. This decision was made public, on Twitter, by Councillor Mathew Bennet, both before residents were informed and days before it was due to be put to a vote … Continue reading Cressingham Gardens Demolition Decision: Protest

Cressingham Gardens: Design Workshop

On 27 June 2015, ASH participated in a workshop at Cressingham gardens regarding potential designs for the 'Voids', a set of flats on Crosby Walk to the north of  Cressingham Gardens which have lain derelict for over 16 years. We set up a table in the shared garden in front of the properties in Crosby Walk, … Continue reading Cressingham Gardens: Design Workshop

Parcours on Central Hill

Throughout June and July 2015, a group of students from Brazil participating in the Science Without Borders exchange programme at De Montfort University chose to participate in a project working with ASH at Central Hill. Starting at the Open Garden Estates, Fernanda, Bruna and Leticia spent time getting to know Central Hill, and  - in … Continue reading Parcours on Central Hill

Principles of Social Housing on Cressingham Gardens Estate

De Montfort University, BA Architecture, Second year, 2015 Second year architecture students at DMU spent their second term in 2015 on Cressingham Gardens, getting to know the estate and some of the issues it faces within the contemporary context of social housing in London. They were asked initially to explore The principles of Social Housing … Continue reading Principles of Social Housing on Cressingham Gardens Estate

SOLUTIONS TO A ‘CRISIS’

Two long, sustained, informed and informative articles about London’s housing ‘crisis’ have been published in the past week: Oliver Wainwright’s ‘Revealed: how developers exploit flawed planning system to minimise affordable housing’, published in last Thursday’s Guardian; and Rowan Moore’s ‘London: the city that ate itself’ in Sunday’s Observer. However, at the end of both, and … Continue reading SOLUTIONS TO A ‘CRISIS’

Viability Assessments and Section 106

The problems with section 106 agreements are primarily that they are negotiable and transferable. The fact that developers are able to negotiate their way out of what is agreed at planning (Section 106 agreement)  through ‘viability assessments’ - often claiming the agreed provision of affordable housing is no longer viable - effectively holds projects and … Continue reading Viability Assessments and Section 106