Winstanley and York Road Estate Regeneration

The Winstanley and York Road Estate is situated in south west London in the London Borough of Wandsworth, between Clapham Junction and the river Thames.

Built in the early ‘70s, Winstanley centres around three large eight-storey concrete slab blocks, each comprising 180 council homes. The area is blighted by poor physical environment and despite being next to Clapham junction, has become isolated with rising crime.

The Council identified a need for change to provide the 900 existing residents with new homes and through wholesale regeneration realise the potential for a new neighbourhood in the Borough.

The council wanted nothing less than a vision for a vibrant new place for living healthy, full lives in this complex urban context.

Farrer Huxley were part of a large team of masterplanners, architects and engineers at the bid stage when the Council selected a JV partner to best realise their vision.

Farrer Huxley led and promoted the landscape and healthy living agenda from the earliest stage of the bid to submission of planning for the whole masterplan, and have now been selected to take the park and green infrastructure through to construction.

Farrer Huxley championed the connection between people and nature as a primary component of healthy lives, an initiative recognised and adopted by the entire team. They delivered the landscape in a landscape-led masterplan, generated the meanwhile use strategy and developed the phasing of this new neighbourhood over the next 15 years.

The Winstanley masterplan represents best practice for development in a world aligned to a zero-carbon future. It is as significant for what it does not do as it is for what it does. It is an exemplar for how highly complex urban, multiple ownership sites in urban areas can and must deliver our new places to live and work, minimising impact on our countryside and revitalising our town centres while enabling a future for zero-carbon living.

The profession and the sector need examples to follow that are responsible and deliverable.

A Landscape that Lasts Forever -
To make a new urban quarter that delivers healthy lives for all, Farrer Huxley prioritised a sustainable approach to long-term management and maintenance of public realm and amenity provision. The project team now recognises the need to change perceptions towards nature in the city such that biodiverse and viable landscapes can be easily and economically maintained in perpetuity.

The Nurturing of the Social Landscape -
The narrative of the changing social and cultural context from now until the project is complete and beyond is another key concern for Farrer Huxley. Their innovative approach to stakeholder engagement, meanwhile uses and phasing, secures functionality and continual improvement at every stage.

Images:
1. Proposed masterplan
2. Connection with nature is at the heart of the masterplan
3. Absent identity: hardstanding dominates and with few landmarks, wayfinding is difficult and unsafe
4. Homogeneous green space: poor quality, underused and inactive areas of grass are scattered around the site
5. Movement strategy

All images © Farrer Huxley