Central Hill estate – photo courtesy Architects for Social Housing
LAMBETH HOUSING SCANDAL – THREE: “YEARS OF LORRIES AND BULLDOZERS IF ESTATE IS DEMOLISHED AND REBUILT”
Demolishing and rebuilding Central Hill estate would mean years of lorries and bulldozers, the meeting heard.
Nicola Curtis’s comment came as Audrey Hammond, who founded the Crystal Palace Triangle Community Association in 1970, recalled what it was like when the original estate was built.
“You don’t realise how long the upheaval takes” said Audrey.
“People being moved out of old housing, old houses being pulled down. “Ten years of machinery.”If they are going to do it here it would be even longer.”
Audrey Hammond said that initially she thought the design of the estate was dreadful. White bricks were OK for Italy but for a Victorian suburb she felt they could have designed it a bit more sympathetically.
It had taken a long time for people to settle in. “They say it’s now comfortable. “Why cause this awful upheaval.?” she asked.
And, referring to new provisions which would not see sons or daughters take over a parent’s tenancy, she said: “Let them bring their sons and daughters into here and keep up the community.”
Nicola Curtis told Audrey: “You’re right. “We are a community. “This area is going to go to pot. “We don’t have enough schools. “We don’t have enough doctors. “We’re the second most deprived ward in Lambeth.
“They are going to drop a whole lot of people on us – but I think they are hoping they will be richer.”