Sadiq Khan proposes giving residents right to veto demolition.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has published the first-ever City Hall guide to estate regeneration in London, setting out how he will protect social housing. He proposes mandatory ballots of residents for schemes where any demolition is planned as a strict condition of his funding.
The ‘Better Homes for Local People’ good practice guide is the first time any Mayor has set out strong guidelines on estate regeneration for the capital and follows an extensive and comprehensive consultation process.
While the Mayor has limited sway when it comes to estate regeneration, Khan is apparently determined to use his funding and planning powers to their fullest extent to protect social housing and give its residents a voice in the capital.
It forms a key part of the Mayor’s broader calls for social housing residents to have a bigger say in the future of their estates following last year’s horrific fire at Grenfell Tower.
“My guide sets out how I will use my investment powers in a way they have never been used before, by requiring resident support through a ballot for new plans involving demolition where City Hall funding is involved,” Khan said.
“I want to make sure people living on social housing estates, who have the greatest interest in their future, are at the heart of any decisions from the outsets,” he added.
Read more here.
This subject is covered in Episode #82 of Demolition News Radio.
