黑洞社区

Westminster council has approved plans for a controversial 拢350m development after using permitted development rights to approve the demolition of a 1930s estate in Pimlico.

The authority said the 781-home Ebury Bridge scheme, designed by Astudio Architects, will be the borough鈥檚 鈥渓argest and most significant redevelopment project in a generation鈥�.

John F Hunt has been chosen to carry out demolition works at the Ebury Bridge housing estate ahead of work to build new housing at the site.

The development will go up in the shadow of the upmarket residential job being built by Mace and Multiplex for Qatari Diar at Chelsea Barracks.

Last May, Bouygues was appointed main contractor to the 拢100m first phase of the project which is due to start this summer.

The green light comes after the council was by the Labour party after it used permitted development rights legislation to fast-track demolition of the historic 336-home Ebury Bridge Estate in Pimlico in a prior approvals process.

Labour鈥檚 London Assembly housing spokesperson Tom Copley said in 2019 that the move amounted to Westminster council 鈥渦sing all the loopholes at their disposal to rush through these underhand and unscrupulous demolition plans鈥�.

The council, which called Labour鈥檚 intervention 鈥渆xtraordinary鈥� given the capital鈥檚 shortage of affordable housing, has defended the 鈥渆xemplar鈥� scheme.

It insisted that the scheme, which will contain 50% affordable homes, 鈥渁ims to set new standards in large-scale central London estate regeneration and provide a national example in engaging residents and reaching new targets for sustainability鈥�.

The council also said the new development will cut carbon emissions by 90% compared to the current estate.

The overall scheme was granted planning by then London mayor Boris Johnson in 2015.