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 contact Jo Holworthy, your Old Barnsbury Regeneration Officer, on 020 3234 2221 or 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

Works have been placed on hold during 2023 whilst we work on an enhanced planning application to improve the sustainable qualities of Old Barnsbury homes. This work has been progressing well but will be paused at the end of this year for actual planning submission.

This decision has been made following the Government announcement in late September, setting back national UK decarbonisation target dates.

Currently there is no Government grant funding available to support the required retrofit work to achieve a net zerostandard. This planning application will be prepared to a point of agreement with Islington Council and submitted at a time when the Governments position on climate change is clarified.

Retrofitting buildings like Old Barnsbury will need to be addressed in line with Islington Council’s commitment to reducing carbon emissions.

In the meantime, we are planning improvement works at Old Barnsbury starting with Fisher House. This will include replacement kitchens, bathrooms and enhanced ventilation systems. These works are expected to start in spring 2024. A range of other external infrastructure works will also commence at Fisher House and other blocks.

Further updates on this will follow throughout 2024.

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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