HOUSING
Vote for change
Residents of an estate
have overwhelmingly
backed Ealing Council’s
plans to rebuild their
neighbourhood, in the first
ballot of its kind in London.
Quinton Drawbridge
reports.
M
ore than half of eligible
residents from the High
Lane estate in Hanwell
took part in the ballot
– with 90% of them voting ‘Yes’ to
the plans. The ballot was run for the
council by Electoral Reform Services,
an independent body – and it is the
first time a ballot has been used by a
London council to determine public
support for a regeneration scheme.
In October, the council committed
to using a ballot at the end of
consultations on estate regeneration
plans to make sure residents have the
final say on the future of their homes.
It reflects a new initiative from the
Greater London Authority (GLA), which
has made grant funding available for
council home building as long as it is
approved by affected residents.
Under the new plans, High Lane
will include a mix of types of home,
including social rent, London Affordable
Rent, shared equity and private sales.
The entire neighbourhood will be
rebuilt, creating a new shop, community
centre and a multi-use games area.
All current tenants are guaranteed
to get a modern, safe and comfortable
home on the rebuilt estate if they want
one, while leaseholders can either opt
An artist’s impression of
the renewed estate
to leave the estate with a market value
payment for their home, or stay with a
share of the equity in a new home.
Councillor Peter Mason is Ealing
Council’s cabinet member for housing,
planning and transformation. He said:
“We have embraced ballots on our
council estates as the best way of
putting residents at the heart of the
decision-making process.
“The GLA’s decision to enshrine
the need for ballots on regenerated
estates is an approach that we’ve
enthusiastically adopted and, with
the result of this ballot, we have set
a standard that we hope the rest of
London will follow.
“The plans will offer residents the
high-quality homes they deserve, and no
other local authority has gone as far as
us in ensuring residents get a good deal
and are not out of pocket because of
the regeneration. Our well-established,
award-winning estate regeneration
programme has given us a wealth of
experience, which will be vital in making
a real success of the renewed estate.”
The existing High Lane estate
around ealing February 2019
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