October saw the submission of an outline planning application for Pembury Circus to Hackney Council. The plans, developed by Peabody and Bellway Homes, are the result of extensive consultation that sought to communicate the proposals to residents and encourage the local community to give its views.
Long earmarked for regeneration, Pembury Circus is located on the corner of Pembury Road and Dalston Lane. It has been disused since two blocks of bedsits and an underground car park on the site, a constant source of anti-social behaviour and criminal activity, were demolished in 2005.
The comprehensive submission proposes a high quality residential led regeneration scheme for up to 280 new residential units together with a large modern community centre, nursery and flexible commercial floorspace. The development will include 50% affordable housing including a large proportion of family sized homes to meet local housing needs.
How the local community gave its views
Working with developers Bellway Homes, we began a community engagement programme to involve Pembury residents and local groups in the proposals. The consultation sought to inform residents about the design, planning and development process, encourage comment, raise the profile of the scheme in the community and seek the views of local groups and organisations.
The range of consultation methods included directly approaching residents and local groups, setting up a consultation hotline, holding briefings and organising drop-in sessions.
Areas of concern included security and parking
Key concerns expressed by residents included security on the estate and anti-social behaviour, as well as the size and design of the tower. A number of participants commented on parking provision, expressing the view that a lack of additional parking space would put extra pressure on existing parking areas.
Although the majority of resident feedback was supportive of the plans, a number of changes were made to the proposals in light of the consultation. In particular, the application was amended to adopt features to help discourage anti-social behaviour, including large-windowed ‘active frontages’ on the ground floor, which provide natural surveillance. A proposal that new residents would not be able to obtain a parking permit for the existing estate was made on concerns over parking availability – and additional applications were made for more parking space at semi-basement and street level.
Overall, feedback on the plans was positive, with many residents commenting that the proposed community centre would bring the local community together and promote a sense of inclusion.
The plans for Pembury Circus will complete a programme of regeneration that began when Peabody acquired Pembury estate from Hackney Council in March 2000. Peabody has invested more than £75 million improving the estate.
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