Southwark Council has celebrated building works reaching the highest point on the first phase of construction at the Tustin estate.
The Leader of Southwark Council, Cllr Kieron Williams at the Tustin estate topping out celebration
London’s Deputy Mayor for Housing and Residential Development, Tom Copley, and Southwark residents, councillors and building contractors, Bouygues UK, celebrated the occasion with a topping out ceremony at the site, just off Old Kent Road, last week (7 March).
The first phase of the Tustin estate redevelopment will provide replacement council homes for residents from the demolished housing to move into.
Overall, the redevelopment will provide nearly 700 new homes – including 250 replacement council and shared equity homes; an additional 220 new council and keyworker homes and 220 homes for private sale.
The redevelopment will also create a new central park, refurbish some of the existing council homes and create new commercial spaces in the estate. The council is also improving the outside communal areas and creating new pedestrian and cycle routes, as well as improvements to Tustin Common.
Southwark has worked closely with local residents
Following extensive consultation, residents voted in favour of redeveloping the estate in a community ballot in March 2021.
The council continued to engage residents when planning the redevelopment; giving them the opportunity to influence the designs of the new homes and outside areas, the construction strategy and community work on the estate.
As part of the council’s social value directives, Bouygues UK have held workshops for young people in the local area; sponsored educational workshops at London South Bank University and provided apprenticeships and training opportunities for local residents. Family events are held regularly for the community and contractors are obliged to use local labour where possible with positions such as resident liaison officer and traffic marshal given to local people.
Cllr Kieron Williams, Leader of Southwark Council, said:
“I’m thrilled to celebrate this important progress milestone on a redevelopment where we’re building new homes for existing residents as well as additional new council homes.
We’ve worked with residents to bring about the much-needed transformation of Tustin estate and it’s inspiring to see these ideas, plans and visions start to become tangible reality. I look forward to seeing residents enjoy their new warm, dry, safe, sustainable homes and to seeing this community continue to go from strength to strength.”
Tom Copley, Deputy Mayor of London for Housing and Residential Development, said:
“I was delighted to join the Tustin community for the topping out ceremony of one of London’s most ambitious and exciting regeneration projects.
This project is not only delivering new, modern homes for existing residents but also creating more than 200 of the new council homes Londoners so desperately need, alongside a host of new amenities and job opportunities for the local community.
The Tustin estate is a shining example of how we are working together to build a better, fairer, more prosperous London for everyone.”
Phillippa Prongué, Bouygues UK’s Managing Director for London and the South East, said:
“It’s amazing to think that it was only last summer we were breaking ground here in the sunshine and construction work had only just begun.
It’s fantastic to see the progress that’s been made since then and to now be celebrating the topping out. We are proud that, alongside our partners Southwark Council, this scheme is very much being designed with the residents, for the residents, with collaboration at the heart.”
Building works started on Tustin estate in autumn 2022, and the first phase of works is expected to finish in spring 2025. The entire redevelopment is projected to be finished in 2030.
