Latest News

On this page you can find all the latest news about the regeneration of Wornington Green.

COMMUNITY OPEN DAY - Saturday 7th August 2010, 12pm - 4pm

Come along to KHT's Community Open Day and find out more about the regeneration, the construction of Phase 1A and a whole lot more.

• Get information on employment and training
• Find out more about youth activities and the new Coffee Mornings - coming soon!
• Nostalgiasteel band performing live!
• Arts and crafts activities, face painting, free giveaways, refreshments and Prize Draw!

KHT's Annex (The Blue Portocabin), 370 Portobello Road.

29.07.10      Mansell wins top safety award!

Mansell, KHT's construction partner for the regeneration of Wornington Green, has won the prestigious 2010 Construction News, Quality Award for Health & Safety. The judges of the award were especially impressed with the level of involvement Mansell's employees had in the development and roll out of the Make Safety Personal programme. Mansell's Zero Harm initiative was a critical factor in the Group's selection as preferred constructor for the regeneration.

Well done to the Mansell team!

Come and meet Manpreet Dillon and Conor Kilbane

Manpreet and Conor will be holding an informal surgery TONIGHT (Wednesday 30 June) between 4pm and 7pm at the Portobello Road Annex to answer your questions.  You are invited to come along and speak to either Manpreet or Conor about the regeneration proposals.  Light refreshments will be available.

A TENANT'S VIEW - The redevelopment can't come soon enough

Rachel Defoe, Lionel House resident representative, has lived on Wornington Green for over 30 years. Her comments to Roof magazine reflect the views expressed by many of our tenants. Putting a case in favour of the regeneration in Roof magazine, Rachel drew attention to some of the structural defects inherent in the Estate - problems to which the only solution is full regeneration.

"We're crying out for safe homes. I've lived this nightmare for long enough and the regeneration cannot come fast enough for me... these are serious structural problems with the materials and original workmanship. The tenant below my property has two young kids and bricks are coming out of her wall, and the lift breaks whenever it rains."

Rachel speaks for many when she says the refurbishment won't solve these problems.

" People who say it [refurbishment] will be enough are in a minority and need to understand what we are going through... the walls move when you touch them. It's going to be a requirement to wear hard hats in our homes soon."

"About 80% of tenants live in block housing. If I was one of the 20% in the town houses with garden space then I'd probably say no to the plans. But they are in a minority - gardens are not the priority, safe homes are."

16.06.10 Athlone Gardens - council to consult with tenants

The Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea will soon begin its consultation on the park. It will be asking what residents think the temporary proposals for the park should include.

We know that many Wornington Green tenants along with residents from the wider community use the park on a regular basis. Athlone Gardens is owned by the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea.

However, to be able to re-house people as efficiently and quickly as possible we need to use part of the park temporarily once construction starts. At least half of the park will be open throughout the construction of the new Wornington Green. This is a council requirement.

The Council wants to know what you would like to see in the temporary park. The plans need to be approved by the Council, and in this process everybody will be encouraged to have a say on what is being proposed for it.

Once the regeneration is complete, Athlone Gardens will be at the heart of the development and more accessible to the community than it is now, with many more properties able to enjoy a park view - half of which will be affordable homes. The new park will be at least the same size as Athlone Gardens is now.

30.04.10     Home visits to discuss your re-housing options

The properties in Phase 1A of the redevelopment are 1-28 Munro Mews and 87-101 Wornington Road. If you live in these properties, you should have recieved a letter from us, arranging a home visit appointment to discuss your re-housing options. 

During these visits we will also explain more about the formal 'Notice of Seeking Possession' documents that we have a legal duty to serve (see below for more information).

We are aware that some of you have received letters with appointment days and dates that don't match up. We're sorry about that, and will be in touch to clarify your appointment time as soon as possible. Of course, if the time we suggest isn't convenient, we will arrange to come at a different time, as convenient to you.

30.04.10     Mansell selected as construction partner for Phase 1!

KHT is proud to announce that Mansell has been selected out of a shortlist of six to construct Phase 1 of the new Wornington Green.

The contract to build Phase 1 attracted bids from some of the country's leading construction firms, and Mansell scored highest following an evaluation by KHT, consultants EC Harris and Wornington Green tenants.

The selection process was rigorous and tenants played a key role in ensuring that any prospective bidders would provide the following:

• Value for money for KHT and its tenants.
• The best construction plan and methodology - KHT wants to make sure that the build process will be carried out in the most effective way possible to minimise disruption for tenants.

Key to the selection process was the involvemnet of tenants on the selection panel. KHT was keen to ensure that the selected contractor based its proposed build work around the needs of tenants on the Estate. Mansell will appoint a Tenant Liaison Officer to deal solely with tenants' concerns.

Mansell is a member of the Considerate Constructors' Scheme (CCS), which ensures that it must operate within an agreed code, such as only working within certain restricted hours and always having a point of contact on site for members of the public. You can read more about the CCS by visiting the website: www.ccscheme.org.uk

Who is Mansell?

Mansell is a leading UK construction company.

Focusing on constructing sustainable communities, Mansell has led on a range of projects, from houses to hospitals and colleges, and has a reputation for reliability, personal service and innovative solutions.

Mansell also has direct experience in mixed-tenure schemes and delivering them on time and to budget. Among others, they have worked with Catalyst Housing Group (KHT's parent company), Metropolitan Housing Trust and the Peabody Trust during their previous contracts for housing associations.

Mansell was awarded Major Contractor of the Year in 2008 and again in 2009.

Mansell abides by the following five principles:

• To comply with the law, wherever it operates, and to be sensitive to local customs and traditions.
• To conduct all of its business and make all of it decisions within a clear ethical framework.
• To maintain safe and healthy workplaces, operate safe systems and methods of work and ensure the safety of the public.
• To contribute positively to the physical and social environments in which it operates.
• To engage positively with its stakeholders and to provide them with information adequate to their needs.

Mansell will be running apprenticeships and training courses open to all tenants throughout the duration of its contract with KHT. If you are interested in taking part, or would like more information, please contact Robert Quaye on 020 8964 6433.

30.04.10     Decent Homes on Wornington Green

In August 2009, we told you about KHT's plans to complete improvement works in some of the blocks as part of our phased regeneration project for Wornington Green. This is because KHT is committed to improving current living conditions for tenants until their new homes are ready.

As promised, we will be launching our Decent Homes Programme in April 2010. The programme could involve the replacement of electrical wiring, heating systems, kitchens and bathrooms for properties in later phases of the regeneration, which include:

Phase 1 - 2010/11

• Norman Butler House
• Paul House
• Rendle House
• Olive Blythe House
• Wells House
• Murchison House

Phases 2&3 - 2011/14

• Edward Kennedy House
• Thompson House
• 300 Ladbroke Grove
• Katherine House
• Macauley House
• Breakwell Court
• Chesterton House
• Chiltern House
• Watts House
• Pepler House

You will receive written notification from our Group Asset Management Team (GAMT) informing you that you will be contacted by our contractors & consultants requesting access for surveys. The surveys will identify which  components in your home require upgrading and the works will be coordinated by GAMT.

Key facts

• The Decent Homes Programme will run from April 2010 - 31 March 2014.
• It is important that tenants allow our contractor access so that we can compile all the details necessary to plan the programme.
• We will do our best to keep disruption to a minimum - however, if you have any health problems or disabilities that could make the improvements works difficult, please do not hesitate to contact your Housing Officer.
• For more detailed information on the Decent Homes Programme please contact Laura Macdonald on 020 8832 3441.

30.04.10     Notice of Seeking Possession

It is common practice by landlords to serve a Notice of Seeking Possession to avoid delays to regeneration programmes. In rare circumstances where a tenant does not want to leave their property, it may become necessary to apply to the court to gain possession of the property.

A Notice of Seeking Possession is a legal document; this is not an eviction notice and does not mean that you will have to leave your home immediately. For most tenants legal proceedings will not progress beyond the issuing of the notice. KHT will only apply to the courts in the last resort in extreme circumstances, for example where suitable alternative accommodation has been offered and refused. To apply to the courts, KHT must ensure that the decant accommodation offered is entirely adequate for your household.

KHT will do everything possible to avoid needing to apply to the courts; however it is important that any necessary action is taken to avoid delays to the regeneration of Wornington Green.

For those living in properties that fall into Phase 1A of the development, which is the first part of the estate to be redeveloped, you may have already been made an offer of a permanent or temporary home by KHT.  And if you have already moved, you will not be affected by these notices. 

We will shortly be visiting tenants who are currently being decanted to discuss alternative accommodation and Notice of Seeking Possession. The visits will take place at all the properties in Phase 1A, which include 1-28 Munro Mews and 87-101 Wornington Road.  

An update on the decanting process is provided below.

If you have any questions, or would like more information on this process, please contact Rosemarie Munroe on 020 8964 6448 or Eve Wright on 020 8964 6405.  

30.04.10     Decanting update

Over the past three years, 45 tenants requested to move off Wornington Green and, in some cases, to other specific areas to be close to friends and family. A large number have chosen to remain locally and have moved to other properties in North Kensington.

This has allowed the Trust to build up a pool of properties on Wornington Green - available for tenants to occupy until their newly built homes are ready.

Since it was decided in November 2009 that houses in Munro Mews and 87-101 Wornington Road will be the first properties to be demolished, tenants have been in discussions with KHT staff about their options for temporary or permanent re-housing. KHT has successfully worked with a number of tenants, who were neighbours, to house them temporarily on Wornington Green where they can remain together and spend as much time in each others homes as they used to!

As you may be aware, there is a shortage of housing in London and particularly in the borough of Kensington & Chelsea, which is one of the most popular boroughs in which to live. The trust will re-house tenants in homes which meet their housing need and is working in partnership with the borough and a number of other Housing Associations in order to identify suitable properties.

We will aspire to meet individual preference, although with the overall shortage of available housing this may not always be possoble.  There will be limitations, but we will work with you to find the best solution. 

One thing, however, is completely guaranteed - if you are currently living on Wornington Green and you would like a new home in the new development, KHT can give you a home to suit your needs. 

26.04.10     Advice and Guidance Sessions for Parents

The Youth Engagement Team at KHT has launched a new series of workshops for parents and young adults focusing on changing youth culture. The workshops started in March, but will run until September 2010 and there are still a number of places available. To find out more about how you can get involved, click here. 

12.04.10     Wornington Green on the BBC!

The Major Planning Development Committee (MPDC) at the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC) approved our planning application for the regeneration of Wornington Green on Tuesday 2 March. 

In late March we also received the final seal of approval fromthe Mayor of London at the Greater London Authority (GLA) and Government Office for London (GOL). This means we can begin transforming Wornington Green later this year,

25.01.10     Our vision for Wornington Green

Our vision is to transform Wornington Green into a modern neighbourhood that will deliver a flexible range of homes, create a stunning environment and provide new state-of-the-art community facilities. Take a look at the publications page for more details. 

01.11.09     Regeneration questions

Last year, a poster asking 20 questions about the regeneration of Wornington Green appeared on the estate. A flyer to answer these questions was sent to all Wornington Green residents. To view this document in English and Arabic, please see the Other publications page. Should you have any queries after having read our responses, please do not hesitate to contact Conor Kilbane, Regeneration Manager on 020 8964 6431 or Abigail Hoskyn, Regeneration Officer on 020 8964 6431.