Listed housing estate refurbishment costs triple

The cost for the essential refurbishment of a listed London housing estate has more than tripled.

Repairs and upgrades to the Golden Lane Estate, a Grade II-listed site designed by the same architects as the nearby Barbican, have gone from an expected £29m to £105m.

Sue Pearson, chair of the Golden Lane Estate Residents' Association, said the lack of communication from landlord, the City of London Corporation, over the increase was "disappointing".

A spokesperson for the City of London said the cost reflected the decision to deliver the improvements over 10 years rather than 20, "in direct response to feedback from our residents".

The Golden Lane Estate, which recently featured heavily on the Apple TV show Slow Horses, needs repairs to its windows as well as wider refurbishment, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) said.

Residents have been pushing for upgrades for years while simultaneously raising concerns about the potential cost to leaseholders and ongoing issues such as damp and mould.

In January it was revealed works to Grade II*-listed Crescent House, a prominent block on the estate, were to be pushed back due to it incorrectly not being registered as a High Risk Building, the LDRS found.

In a City of London Corporation Committee report presented on Thursday, further details were provided about its 10-year Housing Investment Programme.

It will cost £205m, £105m of which is to be spent on the Golden Lane Estate.

The LDRS said this was more than three times the £29m estimated to complete repairs when the committee agreed the Golden Lane Estate scheme in March 2023.

The report also sets out a timeline, with works on Crescent House and Cuthbert Harrowing House expected to start in 2027.

Cullum Welch and Hatfield House are last, with work to begin in 2032 and finish in 2035.

Ms Pearson, who was formerly a councillor at the City of London Corporation, said: "It is disappointing that City residents found out about the threefold rise in the cost of the renovation work to their flats only by reading the City council's committee papers and the construction press.

"They have still not been told anything by the corporation, their landlord, despite leaseholders being expected to shoulder a share."

A spokesperson for the corporation said the safety of residents was its "top priority".

"A dedicated improvement programme has begun at Golden Lane Estate, with fire safety upgrades, maintenance improvements, better thermal efficiency and redecoration.

"Resident consultation and engagement remain central to this process and there will be a comprehensive communications and engagement plan to deliver this."

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