The Heygate Estate
stood for 40 years as an emblem of Britain’s commitment to genuinely affordable
public housing.
By late 2014, it’s a pile of rubble.
By late 2014, it’s a pile of rubble.
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| Now...the Heygate Estate, reduced to piles of rubble, overlooked by The Shard © Paul Coleman, London Intelligence 2014 |
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| Then...the Heygate Estate in February 2013 © Paul Coleman, London Intelligence 2013 |
Rubble makers
By
Paul Coleman
Completed in the 1970s – and designed by architect Tim
Tinker – thousands of people carved out their lives in 1,212
publicly owned homes on the Heygate Estate.
The vast majority were
council tenants, with a handful of 'right-to-buy' leaseholders.
But, for them all, the Heygate’s
heydays now only exist as memories.
Southwark Council decanted these tenants.
Many are scattered to other parts of London and south-eastern England.
Taking over
It's December 2014.
Demolition crews – partly subsidised by taxpayers’ money – have reduced
the Heygate’s public housing to small piles of rubble.
A private housing
market is taking over from public housing in this shard of south London.
Only 79 of these 2,735
new homes to be built on the Heygate’s 25 acres will be offered at rent levels comparable
to council tenancies.
Generations
Southwark Council and developers Lend Lease say these new homes will 'regenerate' a failed estate and create a new south London neighbourhood.
People campaigning for more 'affordable homes' and social housing say Southwark Council is simply serving the interests of property developers.
Local residents say this 'regeneration' process, endorsed by the local state, amounts to 'social cleansing'.
Displacing less affluent household who have lived in the Elephant and Castle and Walworth neighbourhoods for generations.
And, replacing them with more affluent UK and overseas property investors.
A full version of this article appears on London Intelligence.
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| Removed mature trees north of Heygate Street will be 'replaced', say developers Lend Lease and Southwark Council © London Intelligence 2014 |
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| Heygate architect Tim Tinker re-visiting the estate in February 2013 © Paul Coleman, London Intelligence 2013 |
© Paul Coleman, London Intelligence, December 2014
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