Housing New Developments and Special Projects

The City of London Corporation (City Corporation) will be undertaking surface refurbishment, replacement of waterproofing membrane, remedial works to drainage infrastructure, and landscaping works on the podium, covering the public realm in the vicinity of Ben Jonson House, Breton and Cromwell high walk. 

As first mentioned in June 2022, as part of the ongoing improvement works on the Barbican Podium, and supporting the City Corporation Climate Change Strategy, Atkins are undertaking an environmental monitoring project to collect data on Air Temperature, Humidity and Wind Speed and Direction to provide an understanding of the existing environmental conditions on the podium.  

The week beginning 20 February 2023 we have installed a solar shield and will be installing four more over the coming weeks across the podium. 

We will also be installing two additional temporary wind sensors similar to those already in situ. 

There will be no noisy works during the installation of these sensors. 

Data collection began on 10 June 2022, and the collection will continue over a period of 12 months pre-construction and 12 months post construction. Data will be collected using small, lightweight sensors located discretely across the Barbican. 

The data collected will be a vital element of developing evidence-based approaches and evaluating the success of public realm and landscaping interventions for pedestrian comfort and environmental performance. 

Applications for Planning permission and Listed Building Consent for Barbican Podium Project Phase II have now been validated by the City of London Corporation Planning Department and the final proposals are available to view online.  

The planning application and all supporting documents can be viewed on the City Corporation's online planning register where you can submit your feedback on the planning proposals, you can search using the application reference numbers: 22/01178/FULL and 22/01179/LBC.

The Barbican Podium Projects Team would like to thank you for your insights and feedback which have been extremely valuable during the consultation process.  We look forward to continuing to work with the local community as we move forward.   

Further information can be found on the Barbican Podium Phase Two project website. You can email the team at Barbican Projects or Freephone 0800 772 0475. 

The construction of a school and 66 new social homes.  

The 66 units will consist of 35 one-bedroom flats, 26 two-bedroom flats and five three-bedroom flats.  Completion date is scheduled for January 2023.  

Our contractors ISG are currently on-site undertaking construction works to deliver 66 new social homes. As a local authority, we are committed to smart, safe, and motivated working. During these difficult times, we must ensure that we operate 'Business Continuity.' This means having a robust plan in place in order to keep moving forward, contribute to the economy, keep our workforce mobilised and ensure we are in the best possible position to deliver for the local community.

We would like to assure you that the team on-site is working tirelessly to ensure the site operations go above and beyond the Government guidelines. All our contractors are aware of the standards they must uphold, and we revisit these daily at on-site briefings.

Construction Activities

Construction activities taking place on the residential building throughout the week include:

• Brickwork to external walls.
• Mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) installation.
• Installation of glass reinforced concrete (GRC) and precast concrete (PCC) to external walls.
• Balustrade works.
• Roof works.
• Scaffolding adaptions.
• Soffit installation.
• Works using an external mobile elevated working platform (MEWP).
• Decorations.
• Cleaning.
• Breaking out of external existing concrete slab*.
• Excavation, trench, and drainage works.
• Concrete pouring into trenches.
• Setting out of hard landscape and groundworks.
• Brickwork to external works from Basterfield Service Road - note that the access will be granted if required. 

*Please note that we expect this work to cause some disruption, including noise and vibrations.  Reduced impact hours will be in place during this work between 10am - 12pm and 2pm and 4pm, Monday to Friday. 

Major Deliveries

Major deliveries taking place throughout the week include:

• Concrete deliveries, concrete pump and spoil much away.
• Bricks
• Glass reinforced concrete (GRC) and plain cement. concrete (PCC) sections.
• Skip exchanges.
• Delivery of paving slabs.

Working Hours 

The consented working hours are: 

• Monday to Friday - 8am to 6pm
• Saturday - 9am to 2pm 

The consented reduced impact hours are:

•  Monday to Friday 10am to 12pm and Saturday 2pm to 4pm. 

During reduced impact hours, works will still take place on-site.  However, works will not involve percussive machinery or other similar construction involving heavy machinery. 

On-Site Security

• Security guard on-site full time 7am - 6.30pm
• CCTV security cameras are now monitoring the site 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The City of London Corporation also has CCTV monitoring of the site in place. 

KEY CONTACTS For site emergencies, please contact:

John Macleod - 07816 337 792

Pui Wong - 07866 988 932

For general enquiries, please email the COLPAI Project Team or call 0800 772 0475

Please visit our COLPAI monitoring data to view monthly monitoring data results. The monitoring data is also available on the site noticeboard.

You can view the progress on site with images from taken from site.

We would encourage everyone to opt in to the digital newsletter by visiting our project website or emailing the COLPAI Project Team to ensure we are able to stay in touch should physical distributions become unsustainable.

The construction of three large three-bedroom family homes for social rent, a community workshop, 23 resident storage units, cycle and buggy storage. 

The London Borough of Islington will benefit from nomination rights for one of the three new homes and the remaining two will be socially rented through the City Corporation's housing waiting list. 

Borras Construction Limited has successfully been appointed as the principal contractor to undertake the works to construct the three social rented homes that will be located within the curtilage of Isleden House. Completion is anticipated for late April 2023. 

Regular 'Meet the Contractor' meetings are held.  The 14th meeting was held on Wednesday 25 January online at 2.30pm, the next online meeting will be held on the Wednesday 8 March 2023 from 7pm to 7.45pm.  If you would like to join the online meeting, please email the New Developments Team to request the joining information. 

This scheme consisted of the conversion of part of the ground floor of Great Arthur House to provide two new residential units. There are limited opportunities to provide social housing by the City Corporation, especially level access accommodation such as this, within a Grade II listed building. This project has delivered a two bedroom fully adapted flat for an existing applicant on the City Corporation's waiting list with complex needs. The scheme also included a wheelchair accessible one bedroom flat.

The installation of fire suppression sprinklers inside the City Corporation's Tower blocks in Avondale Square Estate's West Point, Centre Point and East Point block, Middlesex Street Estate's Petticoat Tower and Golden Lane's Great Arthur House.

Following discussions with the London Fire Brigade and City Corporation's Fire Advisors, the scope has been upgraded to include the installation of fire alarm systems in Middlesex Street Estate's Petticoat Tower, Avondale Square Estate's West Point, Centre Point and East Point. Great Arthur House already has a fire alarm system.

Each flat's sprinkler heads and pipes will be independent from each other and having block-wide installation will enhance the overall building safety. 

Avondale Point Blocks

The contractor, United Living's presence is currently reduced across the Avondale Estate site whilst slight delays have been incurred due to delay in delivery of equipment.  Works are scheduled to recommence March.  Please contact your local housing officer should you require further information in the meantime.  Please contact PPCR if you have any questions relating to the Sprinklers Project. 

Golden Lane Estate - Great Arthur House

Adjustment to Great Arthur House programme has been scheduled to merge the objectives of this project with the planned fire door and compartmentation project to create one fire safety package project.   Further communications will be shared to households via letter within the coming weeks.  Please contact PPCR if you have any questions relating to the Sprinklers Project. 

Middlesex Street - Petticoat Tower

Procurement for a specialist contractor is underway and initial conversations are taking place internally to propose a new programme suitable for estate management.  Further details to be shared with local stakeholders and residents within the coming month.  Please contact PPCR. if you have any questions relating to the Sprinklers project.

The proposal for the redevelopment of land at the City Corporation's Sydenham Hill Estate consists of two main areas. The first is the demolition and redevelopment of the existing Mais House site and the second is the development of the current Otto Close garages. In total the proposed development will provide 110 new homes for social rent on the Sydenham Hill Estate.

The historic pedestrian entrance and wall on Sydenham Hill, which pre-dates the current buildings, will be retained. The building is positioned to create a clear distinction between the public frontage and the more private communal gardens. Replacing the garages with family homes and improving the safety of the connection between Lammas Green to Kirkdale, completing the street. The proposal to Sydenham Hill will seek to re-establish the historic rhythm of buildings along the street. Providing a contextual response to the existing heritage.

We held the first 'Meet the Contractor' event on Thursday 12 January  introducing our contractor Lovells with a presentation, a copy of the presentation can be found on the Sydenham Hill Project website.   The first Community Liaison Group (CLG) was held on the 2 February 2023 at 6pm.  The CLG would be established as a forum for residents and immediate neighbours of the Sydenham Hill Estate, City Corporation, local councillors, the contractor Lovells and design consultants to discuss all matters relating to the construction at Sydenham Hill. 

You can sign up to receive the latest information on the Sydenham Hill Project.  All other information on the development can be found on the Sydenham Hill Project website.  

For general enquires please contact the project team:-

Email: Sydenham Hill Project 

Freepost: COMM COMM UK (no stamp required)

Telephone: 0800 772 0475

In the event of a fire alarm activation at Mais House, please contact Serjeant Security on 07921 970 720

In the event of any security issues at Mais House, please contact Clearway Services on 01322 33 22 11 

The proposal to develop 91 new net zero carbon homes, all for social rent at York Way Estate, alongside a new combined Community Centre and Estate Office, new waterproofing to the existing podium, new play spaces and extensive greening and landscaping across the whole site.

The scheme was approved unanimously by the London Borough of Islington planning committee on the 17 July 2021.

The project forms part of the original ambition by the City Corporation to deliver 600+ social homes across City Corporation estates.

The City Corporation has entered into a construction contract with Higgins PLC to develop 91 new homes, alongside new landscaping and play spaces, a new Community Centre and a new Estate Office.

Higgins PLC started on site on Monday 16 January 2023 and the construction period will run until February 2025.  On Tuesday 28 February 2023 the first of three free workshops were held at the Goodinge Community Centre, North Road, where residents had the opportunity to design artwork for the construction hoarding across the site.  If you are still interested in joining, please register for these events by emailing Rose Hill at Co-Creative Connection.

Further information on the project can be found on the York Way Estate Consultation website. You can email the York Way Consultation team or Freephone 0800 772 0475.