Hackney Council has all but abandoned a 拢440m scheme to redevelop a run-down 2500-home estate despite massive resident support for the project.
The east London council has advertised to sell a key 1.5 ha site 鈥� that residents were to be decanted to during the project 鈥� to a private developer.

The move 鈥� understood to be for pressing financial reasons 鈥� all but ends the prospect of regeneration for Woodberry Down. This is despite the fact that Lord Rooker has written to the council twice over the issue.

Last November, Hackney resolved to pass the site to English Partnerships to build the 350 decant homes that would allow the scheme to progress.

However, on 21 June, Hackney advertised the site for sale to a private developer, despite saying on 30 May that it was doing everything it could to find a solution for this "exciting" project (HT 30 May, page 11).

The Woodberry Down Estates Development Committee said a private sale would be disastrous for the scheme. A spokesman said: "If you sell the school site to a private developer this would signal the end of an exciting and sustainable regeneration led by, and benefiting, our community. We would be left with an undeliverable and unfundable housing programme."

Hackney council claims that negotiations with English Partnerships are continuing and that private sale is merely a fallback plan.

However, sources close to the situation suggest that Hackney is backing away from the whole project because it wants to get "best consideration" for the land.

Hackney council and English Partnerships declined to further explain their failure to reach a deal.

Source

Housing Today