Project: |
Roundshaw Estate |
For: |
London Borough of Sutton |
Roundshaw was an estate of almost 2000 homes built in 1968 and included a variety of housing styles including high, medium and low rise flats, non-traditional houses, deck access and a complex estate layout. Originally a desirable area for new families, by the early 1990s the estate had become unpopular and had a concentrated population of low income households, including a high proportion of older single people and young single parents.
In a Borough which was otherwise a prosperous leafy suburban area, Roundshaw was one of a handful of intensely deprived areas where crime and unemployment were high, and health and education prospects were very low.
When Janet Dean joined Sutton in 1996 the government had already agreed to an investment plan in excess of £100m and the key partners had been established. These were Wimpey as main developer and Metropolitan Housing Trust, Hyde Housing and Sutton Housing Society as new housing providers. The project involved the demolition of around 1000 primarily high rise homes and replacement with more traditional housing and the refurbishment of most of the medium and low rise housing. In addition, local unemployed people would be trained in construction skills on site and play a key role in building their new homes. New shops and offices would be built to form the ‘Heart of the Estate’, and there would be investment in new health facilities and childcare facilities.
Janet’s role was to ensure the project progressed to delivery stage and this involved:
- Leading negotiations with the developer and provider partners on behalf of the Council to agree contractual terms
- Setting up robust project management arrangements by appointing a Project Director who managed a team of dedicated and seconded project officers
- Guaranteeing effective communications with local councillors, residents and the wider community. Many Roundshaw residents opposed the scheme initially and throughout the development, communications and good relationship management were key priorities for Janet in directing a successful project.
As Janet left Sutton in 1999 one of her last tasks was to host the celebration of the opening of the first pilot phase of new houses. ‘I’d move in tomorrow’ said one resident, a man who had been determined not to be moved from his home of 25 years, which was due for demolition.
In 2005, ten years after the project began, Roundshaw is established as a new and successful community with high quality homes and high levels of community involvement in how local services are delivered.
Janet’s experience in contributing to the redevelopment of the Roundshaw Estate in Wallington strengthened her commitment to housing as a key factor in regenerating neighbourhoods and she was able to bring this commitment to linking investment in housing to wider economic regeneration back to her own region when she established the South Yorkshire Housing and Regeneration Partnership in 2000.