Croydon Council to introduce new construction tax in February pic: Laura Chamberlain

Croydon Council have proposed a new development levy of £120 per square metre on all housing developments larger than 100 square metres, and all new constructions smaller than the average three-bedroom house outside the town centre.

A consultation on the levy will end on February 13 when council officers will assess the responses before deciding on a start date.

The new levy will  replace the currently-used section 106 agreement of the Town and Country Planning Act, in which developers are made to pay towards needs generated by their plans, such as medical or leisure services.

Under the new proposals, all developers would pay a uniform amount rather than being asked to pay towards specific schemes. This would allow the council to have greater control of spending across the borough.

A spokesperson for Croydon Council said the purpose of the levy is to spread money across both inner and outer Croydon in order to fund an £114 million gap for planned new schools, libraries and leisure facilities.

Councillor Jason Perry, cabinet member for planning, told the Croydon Advertiser the change would see: “Many more developments paying for the infrastructure required to support them.”

Croydon has already secured £23 million in funding from the Mayor of London’s riot regeneration scheme that aims to transform the town centre and bring new business to the borough.

Phoenix Community Housing Co-Op Members and Volunteers Pic: Adelle Kalakouti

Nine long-term empty flats in Tower Hamlets are now being used as short-term lets for people in need of housing following a project run by the Phoenix Community Co-operative and Poplar HARCA.

On Thursday the groups held a launch for the scheme, which was attended by Bow and Limehouse MP Jim Fitzpatrick. He spoke of his admiration for the volunteers who helped to renovate the homes.

The scheme aims to reduce homelessness levels by taking long-term empty homes and turning them into short-term lets for single adults on the homeless register or at risk of becoming homeless.

Poplar HARCA provided the studio flats on a seven-year lease and they were renovated as a part of a Phoenix’s Housing Plus project.

However, there are not enough units to offer housing to everyone in need, and Phoenix Co-operative is appealing for more homes. Due to high demand, the co-op has had to close their waiting list for tenancy of the flats.

Over a hundred of their members are currently on handback, meaning the properties will have to be handed back to the landlords at the end of their contract.

Carolyn Smith, a member of Phoenix’s development team, told EastLondonLines that many people are about to be displaced as their tenancies are coming to an end.

“They are looking for empty properties, they are doing land registry searches and it’s very hard. As it is, only a few of them will be re-housed because we don’t have the space sadly. The new homes have a longer lease that’s very good for the co-op,” she said.

The flats, on the Teviot Estate in Poplar, were renovated on a budget of just £90,000 for the whole project. Funding for the renovation was raised through loan and community financing.

Co-op members worked with Women in Construction and recent construction graduates from the College of North West London. They had do the plumbing, fit new kitchens and all the hard work necessary to complete the project.

Tower Hamlets housing officers also attended the event.

Last December EastLondonLines reported that Tower Hamlets was the seventh-worst offender in the country for empty housing association homes, with 878 unoccupied at the last count.

Currently, there are 23,000 families in the borough on the housing waiting list.

Pic: Open Dalston Blog

This week EastLondonLines reported on proposals for an 18-storey tower block on Kingsland High Street. We visited the area to find out what people who live and work in the area think of the planning application and what they see as the impact it will have on the area.

The tower would house 130 flats and a shop on the ground floor, and the developers propose to remodel the station entrance to make it more accessible.

The plans have caused heated debate in the area. A local blog, Open Dalston, has highlighted some controversial aspects of the proposals.

Out of 130 flats planned, only 17 flats are deemed to be “affordable” and the remainder are for private sale. This falls short of Hackney Council’s guidelines, which states that 50 per cent of the flats on offer should be affordable to local people.

One of the main causes of concern is the height of the building, as there are no buildings higher than four storeys on the street and surrounding areas – it is thought the building could block light from other properties.

A spokesperson for Rothas Limited, the developer bringing forward these proposals, said: “Discussions with the council and other stakeholders regarding affordable housing and the proposed improvements to the station are still ongoing.”

Details of the application can be found on Hackney Council’s website using application no: 2011/3439. The public consultation will close on January 30, with a decision expected on March 7.

Here are some reactions we had from people in Dalston;

Video by Irene Baque and Albert Steinberger

Pic: Nico Hogg, Flickr

Local residents have a week to make comments about a proposed application for planning permission for an 18-story residential tower on Kingsland High Street, next to Dalston Kingsland overground station.

The tower would house 130 flats and a shop on the ground floor, and the developers propose to remodel the station entrance to make it more accessible.

Other features include a roof terrace and greenery on the sides of the building to improve its appearance and ecological traits.

However, some residents are opposed to the plans. Open Dalston blog, run by Dalston locals, expressed concerns with a number of aspects of the building.

The main objection is the height of the building, as there are no buildings higher than four storeys on the street and surrounding areas – it is thought the building could block light from other properties.

Other concerns raised include the issue of affordable housing. Of the 130 flats planned, only 17 flats are deemed to be “affordable” and the remainder are for private sale. This falls short of Hackney Council’s guidelines, which stipulates that 50 per cent of the flats on offer should be “affordable” to local people.

Four Communications, the PR company dealing with the development, were contacted for a comment but are yet to respond.

Details of the application can be found on Hackney Council’s website using application no: 2011/3439. The public consultation will close on January 30, with a decision expected on March 7.

Teviot estate could soon have new residents, Pic; Loop Zilla

A housing association in Bow is to bring long-term empty homes back into use for people in urgent need of housing.

Poplar HARCA (Housing and Regeneration Community Association) has teamed up with Tower Hamlets-based Phoenix Community Housing Co-operative to provide homes for single adults who are homeless or at risk of being homeless.

Nine studio flats intended for short-term use are being launched on Spey Street, Teviot Estate.  Bow and Limehouse MP Jim Fitzpatrick, will officially open the homes on Thursday 26 January.

David Ireland, the Chief Executive of the Empty Homes agency, is pleased that the co-operative is on board: “Phoenix Housing co-operative are one of a number of brilliant community groups that help young unemployed people gain building skills through rennovating empty property. That in itself would be great, but that it produces new affordable housing as well makes this a truely remarkable scheme.”

The properties were originally transferred to Poplar HARCA from Tower Hamlets council as part of a stock transfer following a ballot in the community. They were then given to Phoenix Co-operative to be renovated and managed, as bringing the houses to a descent state for re-letting would be more costly for the charity.

Over fifty volunteers and co-op members have worked for a total of 1200 hours over a period of six months to make the houses habitable again, said Kathryn Johnson of Poplar HARCA. The scheme also served as a training project, providing volunteers with a platform to develop their skills and work experience.

Funding for the scheme came from a loan and community financing provided by the co-operative, as major commercial banks rejected requests for credit.

This is the second renovation project in Poplar undertaken by the Phoenix Housing Co-op and Poplar HARCA partnership. In April 2009, four homes were refurbished in Bow and subsequently managed and rented out by the co-operative.

The initiative comes as positive news in a borough where over 20,000 people are in the queue for social housing and forms part of Phoenix’s strategy to unlock the reserve of empty homes in Tower Hamlets.

Under their Housing Plus project, the co-op seeks to identify and revive unused empty properties in an effort to meet the local housing need and reduce levels of local homelessness.

According to figures compiled by the charity Empty Homes, there are over 1,600 long-term empty homes in the area. As reported by EastLondonLines in December, Tower Hamlets was the seventh-worst offender in the country for empty housing association homes with 878 unoccupied at the last count.

You can contact them on: 0207 033 9539

MacMillian Park, Pic; GLA

East London has once again been recognised for its contribution to making London a great place to live in, after scooping two awards in Tower Hamlets and Lewisham at the ninth annual London Planning Awards.

St Paul’s Way Trust School in Tower Hamlets and the Margaret McMillan Park in Lewisham were both awarded for their excellence in urban planning and design.

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: “Once again we have seen yet another stunning crop of entries that showcase the best in urban planning, architecture and design.

“They demonstrate a wonderful ambition to make our city an even better place to live, work and study.”

The London Planning Awards are jointly run by the Mayor of London, the Royal Planning Institute, and London councils. The purpose of the awards is to give credit to the organisations and professionals who have contributed to improving the quality of life in the capital.

St Paul’s Way Trust School won the award for the Best Built Project – Community Scale Scheme.

It was designed by London-based architectural studio Astudio, and constructed by Bouygues UK. It took 36 months to complete and cost a total of £36 million. It is part of the Building Schools for the Future programme.

In 2010, the school’s innovative design was nominated for a World Architecture News Award.

Richard Haynes, the director of Astudio told EastLondonLines: “This project was a unique opportunity to have a vast impact on the lives of many students.  We were lucky to have headteacher, Grahame Price, and a client group that supported the vision and positively encouraged us to deliver a ground breaking learning environment.”

The scheme was funded by the Tower Hamlets Council, Partnerships for Schools and the London Thames Gateway Development Corporation.

St Paul’s Way Trust School is situated in a deprived area of Tower Hamlets. The school was designed to serve as a multi-functional building, with facilities including a library, auditorium, and a sports hall.

The Margaret McMillan Park in Deptford, won the award for the Best New Public Space. The park was recently redesigned by award-winning design practice BDP, and landscape and maintenance contractor The Landscape Group.

Neil Farmer, Business Development Manager for the Landscape Group said: “The Landscape Group are pleased to be associated with a scheme that has been so successfully received by the local community. The award is a tribute to the vision and planning by both the client and lead designer BDP.”

The park was refurbished in 2010 to become more accessible and inviting to people from the local community. It was transformed to integrate the existing equipment within the new design, which includes custom-designed wooden sculptures by sculptor Richard Lawrence.

It has also won numerous awards for its design, including the Urban Green Space category in the Local Government News 2011 Street Design Awards.

The regeneration plans have been submitted to Tower Hamlets Council for the area, which includes Robin Hood Garden, Woolmore Street and Anderson House.

Mayor Lutfur Rahman considered the development as an important improvement to the community. “It will enable us to deliver a net gain of affordable homes, including many family homes, to meet the growing need in the borough.

“This project continues to place Tower Hamlets at the forefront of social housing: from the first social housing estate in England, the Boundary Estate, to a high level of Decent Homes investment.

The £500 million project to regenerate Poplar estate was won by Swan Housing and Countryside Properties in February 2011 last year. It includes a transformed public area including improved community facilities, open space, new shops, a relocated mosque and funding for an expanded local school.

Transport connection improvements are also part of the regeneration.

According to the Tower Hamlets Council, several meetings and consultations were held and ensured that the community influenced in the regeneration process.

Mohammed Yousuf, Chair of the Tenants and Residents Association, praised the new houses: “It’s good news for the local community that the outline application has been submitted. The proposal gives tenants a right to remain in the area once the redevelopment work has finished, but they also have the choice to live elsewhere in the borough if they prefer.”

The vast Poplar estate was built in 1972 and is regarded as an example of Brutalist architecture. Designed by the British architects Alison and Peter Smithson, the building could be demolished as early as 2014, according to the demolition notes sent to the residents.

pic: Willie Duffin

Thousands of east London residents receiving housing benefit could be forced to choose between cutting food and transport bills to pay rent or leaving their homes in search of cheaper accommodation, research suggests.

Findings by the Chartered Institute of Housing published this week show that cuts in Local Housing Allowance will mean that, for the first time in the UK, there will be more people on benefits searching for affordable homes than the market currently provides.

For inner East London, which covers the boroughs of Hackney and Tower Hamlets, a family renting a two bedroom flat could experience a £30 cut in weekly LHA, receiving a maximum of £280 per week. Housing benefit for all four bedroom properties will be capped at £400 per week. Previously tenants in the two boroughs could receive up to £465 per week from their council for a four bedroom property.

In Hackney around ten per cent of all households in the private rented sector receive housing benefit. EastLondonLines’ research shows that rents start at £220 in Upper Clapton but can reach £250 in Hackney Central for a one bedroom flat. Rent for a four bedroom family home start at £450 in Lower Clapton but in Hackney Central the lowest figure was £550. This would force a family in this area to find an extra £85 a week.

Leslie Morphy of homeless charity Crisis said: “The figures make clear that there will just not be enough properties anywhere that are affordable on these reduced benefit levels. With unemployment rising and more people relying on housing benefit, yet soaring demand for properties, the government’s plans just don’t add up – we urge them to stop and reconsider.”

The Department for Work and Pensions said: “For the vast majority of areas except the most expensive parts of inner and central London, at least 30% of all private rental properties will be affordable. Our measures will place a lid on spiralling rents and local authorities will continue to work with tenants and landlords to negotiate down rents, which will in turn help to keep properties within reach.”

The government’s cuts in housing benefit have come into effect early this month, which means that private tenants relying on housing benefits will now only able to rent out properties with rents in the bottom third of the housing market, whereas previously the government would cover rents of properties in the bottom half of  a given rental market area.

In addition to the cuts, from 2013 LHA will be up rated using the Consumer Price Index (CPI), which does not take into consideration housing costs. With rents rising, partly as a result of the Olympics coming to east London, benefits  are almost certainly to decrease vis-à-vis rents, putting people reliant on state support further under financial pressure.

The CIH expects that the changes will force people to move to other areas where there will be increased pressure on affordable homes. Even where there are a sufficient number of affordable properties, benefit claimants face  competition from others looking to live cheaply, such as students.

The LHA currently supports over a million households living in the private rented sector nationally. In Hackney, 2,050 homes are currently at risk of repossession, while the figure for Tower Hamlets is 1,535. Both boroughs have over 20,000 households on the council’s waiting list for affordable accommodation.

Steve Bullock with the Lewisham Young Mayors in October pic: Sea Jung Ra

In 2012, Steve Bullock, one of the country’s first elected mayors, will enter his tenth year as the Mayor for Lewisham.

Over the last year, the borough has been affected by the riots in August, suffered dramatic surges in knife crime and gang violence and now many of its residents will face the risk of eviction from their homes in the New Year.

EastLondonLines interviewed Mayor Steve Bullock to find out what he feels will be the most pressing issues of 2012. We asked our readers to tell us what questions they want to be answered via Twitter.

ELL: In what way will the housing crisis issue dominate politics in Lewisham over the next year?

Mayor Bullock: “In particular I’m concerned about the benefit changes that will force people out of their homes because of the way benefits are going to be capped and that will put huge pressure on local authority housing.”

ELL: In December, Lewisham was found to be in the top ten local authorities with the highest repossession claims, putting residents at a greater risk of losing their homes. How do you plan to address the crisis?

Mayor Bullock: “The answer is we need more housing, its partly about supply but also about explaining to government ministers that housing in London is different to anywhere else. The demand for rented housing is actually going up so we will be trying to increase the number of new homes. Shockingly recent figures have shown that there is currently the lowest number of staff building new homes for years. That can’t go on.”

ELL: What will be done to help those being evicted from their homes?

Mayor Bullock: “It depends on their reasons for being evicted. If they are in social rented accommodation and they haven’t been paying their rent then we won’t be doing very much. If on the other hand, they are being unfairly evicted by private landlords then we will be offering them advice and we may well have a housing responsibility if they are evicted.”

ELL: One plan to tackle London’s housing crisis has been Ken Livingstone’s proposals to introduce a ‘living rent’ for London, which will work similarly to a ‘living wage’ by putting a cap on rents as opposed to housing benefits. What are your thoughts?

Mayor Bullock: “Interesting idea but I don’t know how he intends to fund it.  One of the big charges of the London living wage, which this is a development of, is that Lewisham council will have to put a lot of money into making the London living wage. If the subsidy of housing rent is going to be from the private sector then I need to know where the funding is coming from to make it happen.”

ELL: Another major issue has been an increase in knife crime, which had risen by over 60 per cent since 2008 in the borough. How do you plan to deal with the issue?

Mayor Bullock: “We work very closely with the police and one of our priorities is tackling street violence and we are conscious that a high number of people in our borough are carrying knives.

“Schools are vital for changing this and we need to challenge young people’s assumptions that they have to carry knives for their own safety. We want to further reduce people carrying weapons by targeting schools and raising pupils’ awareness of the dangers of carrying weapons.

ELL: What is being done to support third sector and voluntary organisations in the borough?

Mayor Bullock: “We’ve put aside a part of the council’s budget to let groups bid for funding for new ideas and we’re very conscious that in the difficult times we have at the moment the work that will be done by community groups will be absolutely vital to the borough. We’re very aware that people with new, different ideas should be given an opportunity to develop ideas. They deliver services and speak up for people and we want to develop this as much as possible in the New Year.”

ELL: How do the creative industries in Lewisham feature in your plan for 2012?

Mayor Bullock: “The creative industry is very important for Lewisham particularly for New Cross. It is a significant area for local employment but it is an area that has little money at the moment. We are hoping to put more money into this next year and we want to work closely with organisations, help them with bids for funding and business management.”

ELL: A high number of businesses in Lewisham were affected by the August disorder and many are still suffering from the damage. How will you continue to deal with this problem?

Mayor Bullock: “Businesses in Lewisham were not as damaged to some of the neighboring areas. This was to some extent because the police in Lewisham did a fantastic job and I like to think it was also because we have a strong community that prevented many people from taking part.

“We are presently working with businesses to try and identify ways we can use some of the resources that have been made available so they are more equipped to compete in what is a very competitive environment.”

ELL: How does your additional position on the board for the Local Government Employers Work Place Program, that provides the strategic and policy direction for the Local Government Group’s workforce activities, affect your role as Mayor?

Mayor Bullock: “A good question. It means that on current issues, around areas such as pensions, I have been involved in the work that affects not only the thousands of staff who work for us here in Lewisham, but also people living in the area, as everyone will be aware of the massive industrial action that affected everybody. If I can help get these issues resolved then not having to resort to industrial action in Lewisham will be a benefit for the people of Lewisham. It’s not that the work I do on the board is completely separate from Lewisham but it concerns the issues that are important here.”

Riverside Close beside the River Lea pic: Flickr- Bunch & Duke

Hackney housing is the fifth most expensive in the country as the price of a home in the borough soars to over double the national average, research has found.

Figures released by bank and mortgage broker Halifax show that homes in Hackney cost on average 6.78 times the yearly wage, with not a single London borough deemed ‘affordable’.

They came as London’s housing market defied a nationwide slump to leap 5.5% this year despite the recession.

The BBC claimed the average cost of a home in Hackney this year was £371,187, making it the most expensive of the four EastLondonLines boroughs.  Figures released by the Nationwide building society this week placed the national average at £163,822.

The cheapest borough was Croydon, where the average home would set you back £258,211.

Nine of the ten least affordable regions were in London, Halifax said, naming Brent as the worst at an average house price of 9.11 times the yearly wage. In contrast, houses in South Ayrshire, Scotland, are the UK’s most affordable at just over double (2.65 times) annual earnings.

An affordable home is defined as one which costs less than four times gross annual earnings.

A project at Hertford Road designed to deliver cheap housing was shelved last summer among many others put on hold in the face of budget cuts.

On a national level, the highest proportion of first homes deemed ‘affordable’ since 2003 was coupled with the lowest number of first-time buyers since 1974.

Halifax blamed higher average deposits, which have gone from 10 per cent of the property purchase in 2007 to twenty per cent in 2011 at an average of £27,032. For first-time buyers in London, the average deposit is a quarter of the average property value at £60,193.