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Ringing London's changes at St Clements in Mile End Ringing London's changes at St Clements in Mile End
(about 9 hours later)
Victorian workhouses aren’t thought of as architectural delights, but the one designed by Richard Tress in the Mile End Road was palatial in its time. Built in the mid 19th century, it apparently had central heating, marble pillars, a chapel with an organ and stained glass windows and a dining hall one hundred feet long. Over time its functions evolved: it became a general infirmary, a place for the long-term sick and then, in 1936, a psychiatric hospital, a change that saw the building’s original name of name of St Clements restored. That incarnation lasted until 2005, when the hospital was closed. Today, enfolded by developers’ hoardings, the building is undergoing its most radical transformation yet.Victorian workhouses aren’t thought of as architectural delights, but the one designed by Richard Tress in the Mile End Road was palatial in its time. Built in the mid 19th century, it apparently had central heating, marble pillars, a chapel with an organ and stained glass windows and a dining hall one hundred feet long. Over time its functions evolved: it became a general infirmary, a place for the long-term sick and then, in 1936, a psychiatric hospital, a change that saw the building’s original name of name of St Clements restored. That incarnation lasted until 2005, when the hospital was closed. Today, enfolded by developers’ hoardings, the building is undergoing its most radical transformation yet.
The regeneration of the St Clements site into a residential complex is a combination of restoration, adaptation, densification and land ownership innovation. It came into the hands of Boris Johnson thanks to the Localism Act of 2011, having previously belonged to English Partnerships and the Homes and Communities Agency. Through the Greater London Authority Land and Property company, the mayor sold it to the main developer, Linden Homes. The regeneration of the St Clements site into a residential complex is a combination of restoration, adaptation, densification and land ownership innovation. It came into the hands of Boris Johnson thanks to the Localism Act of 2011, having previously belonged to English Partnerships and the Homes and Communities Agency. Through the Greater London Authority Land and Property company, the mayor sold it to developer Linden Homes.
There will be 252 dwellings altogether, the tallest of which will offer commanding views across the metropolis (yes, I’ve been up and had a look). Most of the properties will be for market sale and are already being marketed. In all, 71 of them will be “affordable” in different ways. There will be 36 car parking spaces and an on-site car club, plus 425 places to secure bicycles. A section of the revamped cycle superhighway 2 will run right past the front along the Mile End Road, linking the City with the East End and Barking beyond.There will be 252 dwellings altogether, the tallest of which will offer commanding views across the metropolis (yes, I’ve been up and had a look). Most of the properties will be for market sale and are already being marketed. In all, 71 of them will be “affordable” in different ways. There will be 36 car parking spaces and an on-site car club, plus 425 places to secure bicycles. A section of the revamped cycle superhighway 2 will run right past the front along the Mile End Road, linking the City with the East End and Barking beyond.
What do we think of it so far? The 70%/30% market/affordable split might seem inadequate, but it’s not far short of par for the course these days with so little government grant available to help push the numbers up. The Peabody housing association is to manage 58 of the “affordable”, all of them for “low cost social rent” (it says here). The rest will be for low cost home ownership through London’s first Community Land Trust (CLT), a mechanism for ensuring that low cost homes for owning remain so permanently.What do we think of it so far? The 70%/30% market/affordable split might seem inadequate, but it’s not far short of par for the course these days with so little government grant available to help push the numbers up. The Peabody housing association is to manage 58 of the “affordable”, all of them for “low cost social rent” (it says here). The rest will be for low cost home ownership through London’s first Community Land Trust (CLT), a mechanism for ensuring that low cost homes for owning remain so permanently.
This is a significant breakthrough. Johnson’s 2008 housing manifesto made large promises about introducing CLTs on GLA-owned land. Seven years late is a bit better than never and a deserved reward for a long-running local campaign instigated by Citizens UK. The CLT would have liked to have built many more than 23 homes there. Even so, these will include family-sized accommodation for local people costing less than £250,000 - about half the market rate. This is a significant breakthrough. Johnson’s 2008 housing manifesto made large promises about introducing CLTs on GLA-owned land. Seven years late is a bit better than never and a deserved reward for a long-running local campaign instigated by Citizens UK. The CLT would have liked to have built many more than 23 homes there. At least these will include family-sized accommodation for local people costing less than £250,000 - about half the market rate.
The cycle-friendliness is a good thing too, 20% of the construction site workers are “from the local area” and salvaging original structures within the site, which are Grade II-listed, is an attractive principle. Johnson’s housing team reckon the scheme demonstrates its determination get stuff built on the public land that’s come into the mayor’s hands and illustrates the GLA’s shifting from being a strategic body to a delivery machine, bringing its land and investment together in innovative ways. It has defined the St Clements project as a “community-led regeneration” with resident representatives on the site’s management board with the site’s freehold to be “held for the benefit of the community by a charitable community foundation”.The cycle-friendliness is a good thing too, 20% of the construction site workers are “from the local area” and salvaging original structures within the site, which are Grade II-listed, is an attractive principle. Johnson’s housing team reckon the scheme demonstrates its determination get stuff built on the public land that’s come into the mayor’s hands and illustrates the GLA’s shifting from being a strategic body to a delivery machine, bringing its land and investment together in innovative ways. It has defined the St Clements project as a “community-led regeneration” with resident representatives on the site’s management board with the site’s freehold to be “held for the benefit of the community by a charitable community foundation”.
Even so, the usual mixed bag of gentrification issues forms part of the story here. I’m told - I hope correctly - that a wall running down one side of the site has remained in place, in part because of heritage concerns but also because some residents of the council estate next door preferred the barrier to remain: a cautionary lesson there, perhaps, for advocates of creating “connectivity” and “mix” as drivers for regeneration schemes. Even so, the usual mixed bag of gentrification issues forms part of the story here. I’m told - I hope correctly - that a wall running down one side of the site has remained in place, in part because of heritage concerns but also because some residents of the council estate next door preferred the barrier to remain: a cautionary lesson there, perhaps, for advocates of creating “connectivity” and “mix” as positive reasons for regeneration schemes.
The site backs on to the Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park, which closed for burials in the 1960s and is now a nature reserve - a rather magical one, from my recollection of helping to supervise a primary school trip there some years ago. In 2013 it hosted the first Shuffle Festival, an eclectic cultural event curated by Danny Boyle. This year’s Shuffle, already underway and running until 1st August, is subtitled “movement, migration and place,” which seems apt for a part of the capital undergoing such rapid change, some of it welcome, some of it less so, often depending very much on who you are and what’ you’re looking for. Your wise comments and any enlightening local information are, as always, welcome. The site backs on to the Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park, which closed for burials in the 1960s and is now a nature reserve - a rather magical one, from my recollection of helping to supervise a primary school trip there some years ago. In 2013 it hosted the first Shuffle Festival, an eclectic cultural event curated by Danny Boyle. This year’s Shuffle, already underway and running until 1st August, is subtitled “movement, migration and place,” which seems apt for a part of the capital undergoing such rapid change, some of it welcome, some of it less so, often depending on who you are and what you want. Your wise comments and any enlightening local information are, as always, welcome.