Grahame Park
Overview
Grahame Park is Barnet’s largest housing estate with 1,777 homes built by the GLC in the 1970s. Although the estate is popular with many early residents, significant problems arose due to the concentration of vulnerable and disadvantaged people, and because of the estate’s design which isolates it from the surrounding areas.
The regeneration proposals for Grahame Park form a central part of the Colindale Development Plan, that aims to create a vibrant new community with major infrastructure improvements, improved transport links and community health facilities.
Background and scheme proposal
A special company, Choices for Grahame Park, a subsidiary of the Genesis Housing Group, is now working with the council to develop and implement detailed regeneration proposals.
A radical rebuilding programme is planned to transform this estate over the next 15 years. Approximately 3,000 new homes will be built forming part of a new heart for Colindale.
These plans will reorientate the estate, connecting it with the surrounding area and integrating homes and services with complementary developments in the area. The estate is being remodelled with new community and retail facilities, whilst retaining approximately 25% of the existing homes that were built in a more traditional layout.
The regeneration proposals were offered to the residents for a test of opinion in 2003, and there was a strong vote of support from across the estate, with a high turnout (68%) and 79% voting in favour of the proposals.
The Housing Corporation has earmarked £15 million Social Housing Grant to fund the provision of 159 affordable homes on advance adjacent sites, so enabling the early re-housing of residents in the first phase of properties scheduled for demolition.
In addition, Central Government has awarded £7 million from the Opportunity Borough Fund to improve access in and out of this area. This, along with contributions from both the Grahame Park and RAF East Camp developments, will fund the replacement of the two railway bridges across Aerodrome Road.
The regeneration will be implemented on a phase by phase basis, dependent on satisfactory re-housing of existing residents before their homes are demolished, with a significant programme of sales of new high quality private homes.
We, the council, will, where appropriate, consider the use of Compulsory Purchase Order powers to enable particular major developments to proceed.
Current situation:
- The council’s Planning and Environment Committee approved the outline masterplan for the regeneration of the whole estate in September 2004.
- Following approval from the council’s Cabinet, a Principal Development Agreement for the regeneration was signed between the council and Choices for Grahame Park in January 2007.
- A demonstration phase of 32 homes was completed in October 2007. This has enabled 13 families to move from overcrowded conditions into new family homes. Sales are progressing quickly on the 3 shared ownership homes and on the 16 private homes for sale.
- Detailed planning applications have been submitted to the council for the early stages of the work including over 300 new homes in the first major phase and the relocation of a children’s facility known as the Log Cabin.
- Following a resolution by the Council’s Cabinet in July 2006, a Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) was made on 7 November 2007 on properties and interests in the area known as phase 1b of the regeneration area. No objections to the CPO were received and the Council therefore confirmed the Order on 1 February 2008. Further details on this can be found by visiting the Compulsory purchase order – a schedule of properties webpage.
Grahame Park newsletters
- Newsletter: Spring 2007
(PDF: 2.51MB) - Newsletter: Autumn 2007 (PDF: 854KB)
For more information about the Grahame Park regeneration scheme, please use the contact details opposite.
