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RBKC considers building extra homes on top of existing blocks to save money
The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC) is contemplating building extra storeys onto existing blocks as a “cost-effective” way to tackle the housing crisis.
In a letter sent to residents, seen by Inside Housing, RBKC identified 20 projects across 14 sites it owns that could accommodate extra floors.
The majority of the buildings identified so far are in North Kensington housing estates, and some are close to Grenfell Tower.
The move is part of an effort to build 600 new homes across the borough in the next four years, of which at least 300 will be for social rent.
The council has also committed to investing £300m in refurbishing existing homes, which includes replacing roofs.
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The letter sent to residents in June by Doug Goldring, director of housing management at RBKC, said: “Before we put a new roof on a building, we are going to explore if it is possible to add one or more extra storeys to the building because this is a very cost-effective way of creating extra housing within the borough.”
The plan is subject to a two-stage assessment, with an initial list of buildings identified for possible new storeys. These 20 buildings will then be reduced to a further shortlist.
“We are currently consulting with residents about phase one of the plans,” a spokesperson for RBKC said.
The council has received £33.6m from the Greater London Authority (GLA) to build new homes as part of housebuilding targets set by mayor of London Sadiq Khan.
A spokesperson for the GLA said: “There’s a contractual obligation on RBKC to deliver the homes by March 2022. Should they fail to do so, under the terms of grant agreement, the GLA is empowered to withdraw the funding.”
The RBKC spokesperson told Inside Housing that given how small the borough is, it can be a challenge to meet these targets, which is why it is considering building on top of property it already owns.
However, Pat Mason, leader of RBKC’s opposition Labour group, told Inside Housing that some residents were alarmed at the prospect of being put in temporary accommodation while the works took place. He also raised concerns for any leaseholders in the blocks.
Mr Mason said: “Land is horrendously expensive so the idea of building on top of existing homes makes sense, but any leaseholders will understandably be terrified of the cost to them, if they make the final build list.”
