Winstanley Estate regeneration

How green spaces and Battersea’s Victorian heritage could support regeneration plans for the notorious Winstanley Estate in South London

By Jake Mason, CEO of Evolve

As the detailed plans unfurl to bulldoze the Winstanley Estate in Battersea, it will present Wandsworth Council with an opportunity to create a community with its roots placed firmly in the area’s rich and vibrant history.

The local authority is planning to rebuild the housing estate, where controversial hip hop group So Solid Crew formed, and replace it with more than 2,000 homes and new retail, leisure, community and office space. It will also knock down and rebuild the nearby York Road housing estate. The plan is to rebuild hundreds of out-dated council homes and to create new affordable housing, private rented and private for sale accommodation, as well as a range of commercial and community spaces. The council wants to improve the local environment and create a well-designed mixed-use scheme. And it is currently appealing for a joint venture partner to help deliver the scheme in central Battersea.

A look into the history of the area provides much inspiration for the architecture, identity and marketing of any potential scheme. Before the Winstanley Estate was built in the 1960s and 1970s, the area was a Victorian slum and was earmarked for demolition. However heavy bombing during World War II levelled much of the area. The irony is that these days the Victorian terraced homes which remain have rocketed in price, going for more than £1M.

Now that the council is planning to rebuild the estate, it provides it with an opportunity to revive elements of this lost Victorian neighbourhood. Historic street names could be used again and building design could take inspiration from this era. It would help the developer to create a sense of place and tie the new community to the local area. The beautiful Victorian architecture which was destroyed by the war could be restored to the residents.

Another way the council could firmly root the development in the local area is to look to Battersea’s connection with the market gardening industry. Before the industrial revolution much of the area was farmland. In the 16th century the area became a home to Protestant Huguenots fleeing persecution in France, who planted lavender and gardens, as well as founding a range of other industries. Between the 17th century and the 19th century it supplied fruit, vegetables and flowers to London markets. Could flowers lend their names to new buildings and public spaces? Could allotments or flower meadows be included in the development as a nod to the area’s past? This would also help to promote community cohesion. Growing your own food provides light exercise and cheap fruit and vegetables. Another way to incorporate the area’s market gardening history could be a community garden or orchard. Again this would bring the community together and give people a beautiful space to enjoy. An insight report which our agency recently published called ‘Wild Cities’ looks at how having access to green spaces and taking part in community gardening makes residents happier and helps them to ward off the alienation often associated with living in a big city. It also makes developments more attractive to buyers and helps the community to thrive.

Meanwhile for marketers looking to create emotion around products these readymade stories are a gift. This is a technique which too few property developers are using. A look around London new build developments will prove this. But simply by weaving in some of the local history from Battersea, it will help the revived Winstanley and York Road Estates to merge with their new surroundings effortlessly. We used this technique in Fitzroy Gate in Isleworth. The housing development is being built on an historic riverside estate and we took inspiration from its close proximity to royal parks such as Richmond Park and Kew Gardens. We included royal blues and purples in the design. We created a gold logo which could look at home in historic royal palaces. We decided to focus on the history of the area to create an interesting narrative around the development. It also helped Fitzroy Gate to become part of the local story and to blend in with its surroundings: something all developers should consider when gifted huge regeneration.

 

The post Winstanley Estate regeneration appeared first on UK Construction Online.