Aylesbury redevelopment

Background

The Aylesbury estate, built between 1967 and 1977, is one of the largest public housing estates in Europe.

The estate covers an area of more than 28 hectares (roughly 40 football pitches) and, by the time it was completed, it included around 2,700 homes with approximately 7,500 people living on the estate, which means it had a population larger than that of many British towns.

Over time, the condition of the estate has deteriorated and maintenance of the buildings has become more challenging and more expensive.

In 1999, the council began to consider options for the estate. Residents voted ‘no’ to the option of a stock transfer and so the council considered refurbishing the existing buildings. However, in 2005, having assessed the overall cost and benefits, the council decided that the best approach would be to demolish the existing estate and  replace it with new, better quality, mixed tenure homes delivered on a phased basis.  

In 2010, following extensive consultation with local residents, the council formally adopted an Area Action Plan to guide the redevelopment of the Aylesbury estate and the surrounding area. The plan set out a detailed framework for the phased redevelopment of new housing, which would increase the total number of homes on the estate from around 2,700 to 4,200 and would deliver new community infrastructure.

By 2013, the first of new homes were completed on the site opposite Burgess Park (near Walworth Road). The development included 50 per cent affordable housing and the Southwark Resource Centre. Three new schools (Michael Faraday, Walworth Academy and the University Academy of Engineering South Bank) were also completed and the first phases of the re-landscaping of Burgess Park.  

In 2014, the council entered into a partnership with Notting Hill Housing, now known as Notting Hill Genesis (NHG), to complete the remainder of the phased redevelopment. Since then, many residents have been rehoused in the new developments on the Aylesbury footprint and in new developments nearby. Construction is now well underway on two significant sites for the delivery of more new homes and a community neighbourhood hub.

The schedule for the remainder of the demolition and construction work, along with the phasing and dates at which tenants can move into new homes on the estate, can be found on the Delivering New Homes page.

In the meantime, the council is continuing to ensure that the estate is kept safe and clean with regular patrols by a team of community wardens. The council is also ensuring that all the blocks continue to be maintained so that every council home on the estate is reliably warm, dry and safe. 

Page last updated: 12 February 2024