Partial redevelopment of the Ekin Road estate in Cambridge has been approved, amid mixed views of the plans.
Cambridge City Council has agreed to demolish the flats and most of the houses on the estate, and build new homes in their place, but 14 houses will be spared from the wrecking ball after feedback from residents.
The community remains divided on what is best for the estate, with some calling for a full demolition, while others argued more houses should be saved.
The council has been considering its options to regenerate the estate for years.
It looked at three main options, including refurbishing the homes, partial redevelopment and the complete redevelopment of the estate.
A report by consultants published earlier this year suggested that the full redevelopment was the “least worst option”.
But the city council faced a backlash about the idea of demolishing all the homes.
Following consultation, the council developed a plan for partial redevelopment, with 14 houses to the south of the estate saved from demolition.
At the council’s housing scrutiny committee meeting this week (June 18), councillors voted to proceed with the partial redevelopment option.
Cllr Gerri Bird (Lab, East Chesterton), executive councillor for housing, hoped the decision would mean people could “finally plan for the future”, after hearing about the stress the uncertainty was causing some residents.
However, some of those living on the estate told the meeting that they were not happy with the plans.
Darren Easton, from the group Residents of Ekin Road to Redevelop It, said the houses and flats in Ekin Road were in “serious trouble” and argued “every single property should be demolished to let Ekin Road have a new lease of life”.
Another Ekin Road homeowner “wholeheartedly” approved demolition and redevelopment as the flats and “many of the houses” were of “poor quality and in urgent need of upgrading”. Some of the homes were “quite simply not safe to live in, said the homeowner in a statement.
However, Dr Maurice Chiodo, from the Save Ekin Road campaign group, called for a further six houses on the estate to also be kept.
He said it would be “absolutely devastating” for some residents to have to move.
Cllr Bird said the council had listened to the mixture of views and was aware of the conditions some people were living in, particularly in the flats.
She said: “This estate has undergone a thorough options appraisal process to review the opportunities for the future of the estate.
“It is important that this work was done carefully and thoroughly as it impacts a large number of homes.
“Everything has been carefully considered, including the current condition of the estate and feedback from the community.”
Cllr Bird said of the six houses in question, there were three freeholders who were willing to sell and three tenants with whom the council was meeting.
The authority plans to move the tenants together, so they could still be neighbours.
Cllr Bird stressed that it was important for the council to “finally make a decision” and said people impacted by the plans would continue to be supported.
Cllr Jenny Gawthrope Wood (Lab, King’s Hedges) had “confidence” in the ability of the council’s housing team to move the tenants into new homes.
She said her mother-in-law had been impacted by a similar redevelopment in the city and had been rehomed after being put on emergency banding to a new home, which she said was “a lot more suitable to her needs”.
Cllr Elliot Tong (Green, Abbey) was “delighted” tenants living in the Ekin Road flats would be put on emergency banding to prioritise finding them new council homes as the conditions they were living in was “truly dreadful”.
He added that the decision to keep the 14 houses was “appreciated”, but said he thought the council could go further.
Cllr Tong acknowledged the houses earmarked for demolition did have issues, but argued they could be refurbished, and said many people did not want to lose their homes.
He proposed an amendment to the proposals to exclude the additional six houses from the redevelopment, but it failed to get enough support from the scrutiny committee members.
Cllr Dave Baigent (Lab, Romsey) said it appeared the council was reaching a “fairly good conclusion”, after a “long and torturous” process.
He also asked why the council had needed to employ consultants for the project, which had “cost a great deal of money”.
Ben Binns, the council’s assistant director of development, place group, said consultants were needed when there was an internal skills gap at the council, as there was for assessing the options for the estate. Without them, member would not have a “full picture” to make a “fully-informed decision”, he said.
Cllr Cameron Holloway (Lab, Newnham) noted that any option was “never going to work for everyone”, but hoped the current plans would hopefully work for most people.
A majority of the committee voted in favour of partial redevelopment.
