You are viewing 1 of your 1 free articles
Plans submitted to replace Clarion block evacuated over safety concerns
Plans have been submitted plans to redevelop the site of a tower block owned by Clarion that was evacuated due to safety concerns.
The proposals, submitted by HTA Design on behalf of the large landlord, would see the 1960s Clare House in Bow, east London, demolished and replaced with a 23-storey residential development.
The development, consisting of two part four and part five storey buildings alongside a central tower, would provide up to 145 new social rent flats.
READ MORE
Residents were moved out of the block in 2021 after inspections revealed it could not “be kept safe without major refurbishment or demolition”.
The former Tower Hamlets council block was constructed using the ‘large panel system’ (LPS) style of construction – where large slabs of pre-fabricated concrete are bolted together.
This system became notorious following the Ronan Point disaster, an east London tower block which partially collapsed in the 1960s.
In a statement at the time, Clarion said the decision followed “receipt of a fire safety report from an engineering advisory consultancy”.
It said this report had “concluded that not every part of the building meets the latest required government standards for large panel system buildings”.
The 125,000-home landlord said the evacuation was “not a decision we have taken lightly, but we will always prioritise our residents’ safety above all else”.
Clare House was built in 1968 and was originally one of a group of three identical towers that previously formed part of the Monteith Road Estate.
The other two blocks were demolished in 2002 as part of a regeneration masterplan.
Clarion’s annual report in 2022 showed it spent £7.1m on leaseholder buybacks after permanently moving residents out of the block.
Sign up for our development and finance newsletter
Already have an account? Click here to manage your newsletters
