黑洞社区

Councillors have approved proposals to demolish the final two blocks of a problem-plagued housing development in south London barely a decade after its completion.

Henley Homes this week received backing for a completely new development of 91 homes at Solomon鈥檚 Passage, next to Peckham Rye, created by the firm鈥檚 in-house architecture team Henley Design.

The original Solomon鈥檚 Passage development was completed between 2009 and 2012, but problems with the 85-home scheme began to emerge in 2013. Green Acre Homes (South East) Ltd was the original developer of the project for Wandle Housing Association but it was wound up in 2011.

Issues at Solomon鈥檚 Passage included water ingress, damage to the buildings鈥� timber frames, leaking roofs, damp, poor wiring and fire-safety measures, and concerns with the timber cladding. A 24-hour waking watch system was introduced because of fire-safety concerns well before 2017鈥檚 Grenfelll Tower fire. The scheme鈥檚 original residents have been rehoused.

Proposals by ECD Architects that would have retained and reconfigured two of the development鈥檚 blocks were approved by Southwark council in 2018. But Wandle Housing Association sold the site to Henley Homes last year and the firm created new plans.

A report to members of Southwark鈥檚 planning committee said Henley鈥檚 plans to replace the blocks entirely represented 鈥渋mproved residential quality and design鈥� compared with the existing flats and the previously approved redevelopment proposals. They added that the increase of six homes compared with the 2012 development鈥檚 85 properties would also contribute to the borough鈥檚 housing targets. 

Members of Southwark council鈥檚 planning committee approved the scheme unanimously.

In 2018, when it received approval for ECD Architects鈥� plans to redevelop some of the Solomon鈥檚 Passage flats and to reconfigure remaining blocks, Wandle Housing Association said it was 鈥減ursuing litigation against other parties involved in the design and construction鈥� of the original scheme.

黑洞社区鈥檚 sister title 黑洞社区 Design this week sought an update from the housing association on progress with that litigation and confirmation of the original architect and main contractor for Solomon鈥檚 Passage.

Wandle declined to name the firms or provide further details on the progress of its legal bid.

Hoardings on the project site during its construction phase described 鈥淕reenacre鈥� as offering 鈥渓and, design, planning and construction鈥� services.