Masterplan will see the creation of 144 new homes in sprawling estate

AMBITIOUS plans for the second stage of the Brent’s ‘materplan’ for the redevelopment of South Kilburn were unanimously passed by the council planning committee last week.

Three huge estates on the two hectare site in South Kilburn will be transformed into 144 new homes over the coming years.

The group of two and four storey blocks and a row of mews houses, which have been designed by Architects Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands and Alison Brooks Architects,will be known as the ‘historic quarter’ of the new development due to their traditional architectural style.

James Miles, who is the project director for the Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands part of the building works, said: “We are introducing the fronting of villa type building as well as a historical mews-type street which will make the historical part of the development.

“In the design of this area there was a real opportunity to redefine a lot of the open space - the site was is originally post-war made up of large council bocks with a lot of isolated, under used public space.

“We wanted to redefine this space in the development and create a sense of ownership of the public areas,.

“For example we will be moving the play space, which is currently on a very busy road adjacent to Kilburn Park Station, and relocate it into a softer setting that will be surrounded by usable green space.

“We are opening up much of the area to pedestrians with one big open space with the buildings set into it – instead of the big isolated blocks that are currently there it will have proper streets, with doors at street level opening up onto the road creating a more community feel.”

The exact schedule of works – and, crucially, the finish date of the development - has yet to de officially decided.

Builders firm Denne have also announced this week that that they have been hired for the �35 million job of building 286 new homes for social housing landlord London & Quadrant.

The first Albert Road redevelopment involves building 153 new homes in eight blocks of between five and 11 storeys and needs demolition of an existing block.