A £1bn scheme to regenerate Elephant & Castle could finally get off the ground after six housing associations were shortlisted for the first phase of the project.
The brief for associations on the shortlist, launched last week, includes the construction and management of the first 1000 new homes in Elephant & Castle – 70% of which will be social housing.
The shortlisted associations are Homes for Heygate – a consortium of Hyde Housing Association, Metropolitan and Hexagon; Southern Housing Group; Places for People; Horizon Housing Group; a consortium of L&Q, Guinness and Wandle; and a consortium of Family and Affinity Homes Group.
The news marks the latest stage in a long saga of tenant protests and rejected plans which dates back to 1999 when Southwark council first unveiled plans for the £1bn regeneration of the area.
Dale Meredith, of Southern Housing Group, said the group had not been discouraged from getting involved by the history of the project.
He said: “These are good opportunities to help kick-start the regeneration of Elephant & Castle. I think that is a good thing to be involved in.”
A Southwark council spokeswoman said the residents of the area would be pleased with the latest developments. She said: “The residents have been waiting a long time for the change. They have had a lot of complications and they are really ready to see something happening.”
The second phase selection is now under way and the successful partners are expected to be announced in the early summer.
Source
Housing Today
