Southwark Council has been working collaboratively with Ledbury residents to redesign and redevelop the estate after four 1960s towers constructed using Large Panel System (LPS) methods were identified to be unsafe with fire and structural risks.
The work on the site of the former Bromyard House is the first phase of the Ledbury Estate renewal. In total, the renewal will provide 340 new homes, 224 of which will be council homes to replace those from the old towers. The council will also build an additional 37 new council homes, taking the total to 261 council homes, as well as 14 shared ownership homes and 65 homes for private sale.
As well as providing new homes for Ledbury residents, the estate renewal will transform the wider neighbourhood, with landscaping, new outdoor communal areas, a large garden courtyard with space for community growing, a play area and tree-lined paths creating new pedestrian and cycle friendly connections between the Old Kent Road, Pencraig Way and Bird in Bush Park to the south-west. The council had worked closely with local residents over many years to develop the designs for the new homes and the wider area.
Construction is now taking place on the site of one of the old towers, the former Bromyard House, to provide 80 new homes across two blocks, with 46 council homes and 14 shared ownership homes. There are also 20 homes for private sale, to help pay for the new affordable homes.
Building work at the site has now reached its highest point – roof level – and the moment was celebrated at a ‘topping out’ event on Wednesday 26 March.
Following extensive consultation Ledbury Estate residents voted in favour of demolishing the four blocks and providing modern high-quality new homes and a range of other improvements to the estate.
The new council homes will be prioritised for former residents who had to move out of their previous homes due to safety issues with the aging buildings. The shared ownership homes will be earmarked for leaseholders of Ledbury towers.
Southwark Council receives grant funding from the Greater London Authority (GLA) to support the estate renewal with a fixed amount for each council home the council provides. The council received £5.7m for the council homes in the current phase of works.
Cllr Helen Dennis, Cabinet Member for New Homes and Sustainable Development, said: “We want all our residents to have decent, sustainable and safe homes, so it’s fantastic to celebrate the incredible progress, working alongside local people, to renew and transform Ledbury Estate.
“There is such a strong community here and we are proud to provide both existing and new Ledbury residents with new homes that will support their community to continue to grow and thrive in this great location, just off of the Old Kent Road.
“These new council homes are among more than 3,000 that we’ve built or that are under construction in our borough.”
Tom Copley, Deputy Mayor of London for Housing, said: “Having invested £5.7m in the current phase of works, I am delighted to see the Ledbury Estate move closer to delivering the new affordable homes that Londoners urgently need, as well as resolving the safety issues that local communities were facing before the redevelopment.
"Working in partnership with London’s boroughs, The Mayor and I will continue to support this kind of neighbourhood renewal as we work to build a fairer, safer, better London for everyone.”
Declan Higgins, Chief Executive Officer at Higgins, said: "Reaching this significant milestone at Ledbury Estate is a testament to the strong partnership between Higgins and Southwark Council, as well as the commitment of the local community. Beyond delivering 340 high-quality new homes, we are dedicated to making a lasting impact through skills development, employment opportunities, and community engagement.”
The work on the site of the former Bromyard House is the first phase of Ledbury Estate renewal.
In total, the renewal will provide 340 new homes, 224 of which will be council homes to replace those from the old towers.
The council will also build an additional 37 new council homes, taking the total to 261 council homes, as well as 14 shared ownership homes and 65 homes for private sale.
The first phase of building works is expected to complete in summer 2026 and the entire Ledbury Estate renewal is expected to be finished by mid-2030.
Southwark Council is one of the largest local authority home builders in the country and has built or started construction on more than 3,000 new council homes.