Berkeley Homes (North-East London) Ltd is seeking permission for an outline planning application for a residential-led development, referred to as the Woodberry Down estate redevelopment phases 5 to 8. Situated within the ward of the same name, the scheme will be determined as with all previous phases by the London Borough of Hackney (LBH)
The proposed development has undergone multiple design iterations for phases 5 to 8. These iterations include; the original 2014 Masterplan; 2021 Masterplan (not submitted); Iterations following pre-application meetings and public consultation in 2023; and the Final design was produced and influenced by consultation with LBH throughout 2024.
The 2014 master plan originally sought to deliver approximately 2,400 homes. The number of homes was increased to 3,500 across Phases 5-8. Following pre-app meetings with LBH in May and June 2023 on height, massing, and visual impact as well as Design Committee comments, the building heights were reduced and the number of homes was reduced accordingly to the 3,083 set out in the application. Scheme amendments also propose the removal of all commercial/retail space and increasing the number of open spaces from 5 to 7.
Woodberry Downs is within 10% of the most deprived neighborhoods in England with 835 homes on the site.
The masterplan for the pre-existing Woodberry Estate was based on the German principle of Zeilenbau, literally translated as ‘Row Houses’. The Zeilenbau approach is a direct response to sunlight, to ensure good lighting levels within the proposed housing through the orientation
of the buildings and configuration of the housing layouts.
At Woodberry Down, this manifests through the linear arrangement of the buildings, on a strict north-south axis. The buildings are laid out with alternating service areas and gardens, ensuring all residents have access and view over both elements.
Plans to redevelop the Woodberry Down started over 15 years again in 2004, with phases 1-3 mostly complete with reserved matters planning consent granted in 2024 for phase 4. In 2004 Hackney Council outlined the objectives of the Woodberry Down Area Action Plan.
This sets many of the principal parameters for development and identifies key sites for the first phase of development. The regeneration started in 2008 following extensive local consultation with the submission by the Council of an outline planning application for the redevelopment of Woodberry Down.
Whilst there are 835 homes on site it was not possible to determine the precise tenure of occupation of the homes on site. As the homes are currently managed by the housing association Notting Hill Genesis, it is not clear how many were sold off via Right to Buy before stock transfer or indeed how many have the preserved right to do so.
The indicative proposed new homes are not inclusive of the homes that need to be demolished to make way for the increase in housing provision, with this in mind this would range from a net new of 2,033 for the minimum provision increasing to a potential of 2,248.
The documents with compromise this planning application, give a very clear indication that the applicant will seek to build the maximum net new homes possible.
An increase in the number of new homes compared with the pre-existing masterplan consent for the proposed phases 5 to 7 has been achieved through the height increases. For instance, phase 5 as pictured as the featured image for this article, originally sought to deliver 490 homes through this phase, which has now increased to 833 homes which has been done mainly through an increase in the height of the buildings. For instance an increase in minimum and maximum heights from 47.9m AOD (height above sea level) and 64.4m AOD in 2014 up to 69.8m AOD and 95.6m AOD by 2024 design freeze.
The wider site is well placed in terms of public transport, with the Seven Sisters Road a notable high-frequency bus corridor running through the master-planned site, which is also envisaged to have a segregated cycling lane in the future. This is supplemented by Manor House tube station for the Piccadilly Line at the western edge of the site which then leads onto Finsbury Park.
The construction of the proposed development is estimated to take 15 years, with start dates from 2027 to 2033 with completion ranging from 2031 for phase 5 out to 2041 for phase 8.
The applicant has commissioned architects Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands to produce design and access proposals for this site, this is following consent by the same planning authority in May 2024 for 311 net new homes for the fourth phase of the estate redevelopment.
