Welcome to our consultation website for the Barnsbury Estate Transformation.
Update on Old Barnsbury
Thank you to those of us who joined us at the latest Old Barnsbury resident update meeting on 28 November. Don’t worry if you weren’t able to make it as you can view and download the presentation here.
As always, we’ll keep talking and listening to you. If you have any questions, please email BEST@newlon.org.uk.
New Barnsbury update
A government announcement in August 2023 proposed an introduction of additional safety regulations for new residential buildings which has meant we have had to put a hold on the estate transformation pending further information about the new requirements.
The regulations will bring in a key change that requires the inclusion of an additional staircase in the design of buildings over seven storeys. This will apply to most of the new buildings on the estate and therefore will require a change to the planning approval we received in March 23. Introducing a second staircase to the buildings will affect the number and/or size of homes we can build and we will be liaising with Islington planners to see how we can best achieve the changes once the government issue the guidance about the new regulations.
There are transitional arrangements that permit schemes with planning permission to proceed under the existing permission so we are exploring the possibility of starting Phase 1a to minimise the delay to the whole development.
We hope to be able to provide an update early next year. In the meantime more details can be found in our recent letter.
Old Barnsbury update
In our February and April newsletters we updated you that we are working on starting works to kitchens and bathrooms for homes at Old Barnsbury.
Other Estate improvements will also follow including playground improvements.
These works will shortly begin at Fisher House and will be the first stage of building and landscape improvements approved under planning permission (ref. P2022/2454/FUL).
Ahead of works commencing, we have submitted a planning amendment called a ‘Section 73’ which is process related and will allow these works to be delivered sooner and on a block by block basis. This will minimise disruption to residents as the existing planning permission requires all these works to be delivered in one go.
The kitchen and bathroom works being carried out at Fisher House will be available to all Old Barnsbury residents and include;
- The chance to have an improved and more spacious kitchen and bathroom layout, by choosing to have any separate WC removed and combined into the bathroom with a bath or shower.*
- Installation of new solid core flat entrance doors.
- Other essential works will be carried out at Old Barnsbury including to roof spaces, the mains water supply and drainage repairs. We will keep you informed about these works and the timings for them to be carried out.
* Please note there are a few flat types where it may not be possible to have this choice and this will be discussed with residents individually.
Please also note, these works are not the ‘enhanced retrofit works’ we have previously discussed, which we intend to proceed with once government funding becomes available to assist with a national decarbonation programme.
About the Barnsbury Estate
The Barnsbury Estate is owned by Newlon Housing Trust, a not-for-profit social housing company, who took over management of the Estate from Islington Council in 1999.
The Estate is made up of two areas; Old Barnsbury is the red brick housing blocks between Charlotte Terrace and Barnsbury Road built in the 1930s and New Barnsbury is between Caledonian Road and Charlotte Terrace, which was built in the 1950s and 70s.
Illustration of what the Barnsbury Estate could look like on completion
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