Broadwater Farm residents back £150m regeneration plan
Residents on the Broadwater Farm estate in Tottenham have backed council plans to build 294 new homes as part of a £150m investment.
On a turnout of 55% of eligible voters, 85% of residents voted in favour of Haringey Council’s plans to build new homes, in addition to upgrading streets and community facilities.
The ballot was conducted by Civica Election Services between 11 February and 7 March, with residents on the estate and those rehoused from the Tangmere and Northolt blocks given the opportunity to cast their votes by post, online or by telephone.
A redeveloped Broadwater Farm will benefit from the investment of more than £150m and is part of the council’s ambitious programme to deliver 3,000 new council homes in the next decade.
The development will deliver 294 new energy-efficient council homes. This includes the replacement of all homes on the Tangmere and Northolt sites, with at least 30% larger homes to help previously overcrowded families.
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Haringey Council decided in November 2018 to knock down its Tangmere and Northolt blocks on the Broadwater Farm estate after structural surveys identified them as unsafe.
The blocks were built using a large panel system (LPS) construction method, which was associated with the deadly Ronan Point disaster in 1968.
The council began moving tenants out of the blocks and negotiating buybacks with leaseholders in order for the works to go ahead in 2018.
In October 2020, Haringey councillors agreed to issue a compulsory purchase order (CPO) for nine leasehold flats for which no agreement had been reached.
At the time, representatives from Broadwater Farm Residents’ Association attended the meeting to protest the CPO.
In a statement published yesterday, the council said the redesign proposals were developed in close collaboration with the community over the past two years and will tackle local issues such as overcrowding, community safety and fuel poverty.
Under the rebuilding plans, all Tangmere and Northolt tenants will be able to return to a new home once they are built. Priority for the remainder, about 100, will be given to residents on the estate.
The plans also include new community facilities, such as a park and public spaces, and an improved layout with improved lighting, better CCTV and courtyards secured at night.
Ruth Gordon, Haringey cabinet member for house building, placemaking and development, said: “It’s fantastic to see residents vote yes and overwhelmingly back our plans for the delivery of high-quality, safe and genuinely affordable accommodation.
“I am also very pleased that this scheme will transform the estate by creating open spaces where people want to meet, chat and play alongside a new shop, community hub, medical centre, workspaces and street layouts.
“Much of that has been down to the community, because this was a resident-led, placemaking proposal. We will continue working together to shape the future of the neighbourhood, ensuring residents are the ones that benefit most from the opportunities the redevelopment will bring.”
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