The five popular trees
The story of the trees.
The five popular trees were planted in the 1960's, as the new Pepys Estate was being built.
They have grown to maturity, reaching a height of some 70 to 80 feet.
The five popular trees
The story of the trees.
The five popular trees were planted in the 1960's, as the new Pepys Estate was being built.
They have grown to maturity, reaching a height of some 70 to 80 feet.
Tenants Action Group
Pepys Estate
Deptford
London SE8
email : tag@mcad.demon.co.uk
Email TAG
A Voluntary Group of tenants and residents on the Pepys Estate, Deptford. Evelyn ward London Borough of Lewisham.
Advice on rights, information and support
Housing, planning and the environment
Health and well being
The plaque reads >
THE PEPYS ESTATE WAS OPENED ON 13TH JULY 1966 BY
ADMIRAL OF THE FLEET
THE EARL MOUNTBATTEN OF BURMA KG.
This estate built by the Greater London Council stands on the
site of the Royal Victoria Dockyard founded over 400 years ago
Here Samuel Pepys, Secretary of the Royal Navy,
ordered the fitting out of the Fleet for the Dutch Wars and here
through the centuries British warships were built and rigged.
IT IS NOW DEDICATED TO THE PEACEFUL ENJOYMENT & WELL BEING OF LONDONERS
Planning Objection 2011
Planning Objection 2010
View - Convoys Wharf - Planning Application - 27th October 2010
Planning Objection 2009
Planning Objection 2008
Hyde development on Pepys - Phase 3 - 2006/07
London Borough of Lewisham, Pepys Estate, Deptford
Compulsory Purchase Order 2004 - Marlowe House
Planning objections - 2003
Links 2003 ... Annoucement of Thames Gateway scheme
News Shopper Web link to Archive
Links 2002 ... Comments on housing
More links on www ... Comments on housing
News Shopper Web link ... News article
Local London Web link ... News article
Background to Pepys estate, Deptford, London SE8
Communications with the London Borough of Lewisham
Communications and Press reports
Selection of letters and meetings - 2000/01
Selection of letters and meetings - 2002/03
Creative opportunities
Link to local Council Election results 2002 for Evelyn Ward, Deptford.
Council Elections 2002 Web link
Aragon Tower, Pepys estate, Deptford SE8
Left >Before the sell off by Lewisham Council,to the private sector, and not refurbished under Pepy Estate Action 1992-2001,
(unlike its two sister towers - Daubeny Tower and Eddystone Tower, now managed by ALMO Lewisham Homes).
A mid-1960's design, showing the original height of 78 metres with 24 storeys; then 100% social housing - March 2003.
Centre >Up for sale, refurbished and reclad, and with 5 new additional luxury penthouse storeys, now with a height of 29 storeys - 2005.
Right >After the completion of new works and re-occupation / sale, in to the private sector - April 2006.
Aragon Tower is located alongside the River Thames. On the opposite bank is the Isle of Dogs, Canary Wharf and Docklands City.
Then and now ... the sell off, and conversion of a Council social housing tower block, to private occupation
Views of the former Marlowe and Millard Houses, Pepys estate, Deptford SE8 - 2005
Marlowe House, was namesake after Christopher Marlowe(1564-1593) playwright and poet.
Millard House, was namesake after the sister ship The Millard, to the Golden Hind - built at Deptford Dockyards.
The site, at the rear, faces towards Upper Pepys park and the River Thames.
The site, at the front, faces towards Lower Pepys park and Grove Street.
Action - to protect tenant rights
TAG took action to protect the rights of local tenants and residents, and sought to keep Aragon Tower - then 100% social housing, as a 24 storey tower block owned by Lewisham Council - to remain as social housing, not to private sector sale.
TAG advocated for the refurbishment, to retain for high quality social housing, not demolition, of all of the five low rise housing blocks on Pepys - known as Barfleur House, Doblen Court, Limberg House, Marlowe House and Millard House.
A total of 222 social housing units.
Refurbishment retains the local community, and the embedded energy of the buildings, and
All of threatened buildings, were struturally sound in build quality, as well as being identical to many other buildings on the Pepys estate.
Lewisham Council granted Hyde Housing Association the planning permission to demolish and rebuild the above 5 blocks of 222 social housing units.
Hyde's proposal was to build new Housing Association housing units on the site of the demolished buildings, totalling 251 units, which was later then revised upwards to 267 units.
The funding came from the Housing Corporation, of over £20 million.
The former site of Marlowe House and Millard House ( see photo above ), each of which had 53 units of 1-bed, 2-bed, 3-bed and 4-bed maisionette style flats - totalling 106 units.
The construction was made up from a poured on site concrete frame and brick faced.
There are 8 other identical blocks of maisionette flats on Pepys estate, known collectively as the London Wall by the Greater London Council architects. All of these identical blocks were refurbished under the Pepys estate Action Programme 1992-2001.
Marlowe House and Millard were awaiting their turn in the Estate Action Programme of refurbishment ( 1992-2001 ), before the change in policy by Lewisham Council, to sell the freehold of the land to Hyde HA.
The Hyde new build, on this site, now has 108 units of 1-bed, 2-bed and 3-bed flats ( revised upwards from 92 units after a late planning revision in December 2005, following on from first approval in February 2005 ).
The construction is made up from a new technique for the structure consisting of large wooden frame panels - manufactured off-site - and fitted on site, the building assembly is later brick faced and plaster rendered to then appear similar to that of a conventional bricks and mortar build.
The built lifetime of this method of building - wood frame - in the long term, is, as yet, uncertain. A "lifetime" is seen as being 25 years, or more, only
Hyde HA now hold the freehold of the land for these properties. As well as the freehold for the land of new buildings on the sites of the former Barfleur House, Doblen Court and Limberg House. A mixture of Assured Tenancy Housing Association flats for rent and flats for Shared Ownership.
The overall result has been the loss of 366 social housing units - Secure Council tenancies.
144 lost to the private sector by the sale of Aragon Tower, and 222 lost to a Housing Association - Hyde; by the sale of the freehold and the granting of planning permission.
The replacement has been 156 private luxury flats with Aragon Tower - 5 new penthouse level floors added to give a total of 29 floors to the tower block.
Together with 267 new Housing Association flats - only 7 of which are houses ( although an early promise was for the potential for 'new houses with gardens' ).
Giving a total of 411 new units from the overall scheme, at an increased density.
Lewisham Council's Unitary Development Plan ( UDP ), allowed for an even greater density of occupation to be granted owing to Pepys being adjacent to the River Thames, the latter being classified as an "open space".
A maximum height for wood frame construction is of eight stories. Parts of the design on Pepys reaches this maximum.
Thames side panoramic sequence looking out from the Foreshore, Pepys estate - March 2003
This site online for 12 Years
This is site developed using a RISC OS Computer
All artwork and digital photography on this site is original (c) Malcolm Cadman 2000/12
(Except where separately acknowledged)
