CMA Planning
Where: Whitmore Road, Hoxton, N1
Who For: Hoxton Regeneration
What: 199 homes and 344 sqm of commercial space
Architect: Allies & Morrison
New Era is a mid-rise housing estate built in the 1930s. Whilst the existing accommodation comprised 100% 'market housing' from a planning perspective, many of the tenants had benefited from being ‘under-rented’ for many years. The Estate was acquired by Dolphin Living in 2014 following a failed attempt by the previous owner to redevelop the site in a manner which did not take into account the needs of the existing tenants.
CMA were appointed to advise on planning strategy, to lead on pre-application discussion with the Council and GLA, and to coordinate and manage the planning application process. A key challenge was reconciling the needs of the tenants, whom Dolphin had offered to rehouse at their existing rent levels, with the Council’s affordable housing, tenure split and residential mix policy requirements. CMA led the negotiations and secured agreement that returning residents could be rehoused with the proposed London Living Rent, Discount Market Rent and Private Rent homes, which would then revert to the relevant tenure when the existing residents leave the Estate.
A further challenge was scale and height, with buildings of up to 14 storeys representing a significant increase over the existing four storey blocks. Whilst the site is not located within a tall building location, CMA was able to establish the principle of a tall building in planning terms, the design and articulation of which was then refined over the course of a number of design workshops and Design Review Panel presentations. Following this, planning approval was secured in 2020.
