Residents of South Kilburn say they are constantly cleaning dust from their clothes and belongings
Pictured is Moses Onek outside the block where he lives with his family while waiting to be relocated by Brent Council (Image: Local Democracy Reporting Service)
Residents of a North West London estate say they’ve endured years of dust and noise from construction work as a major regeneration scheme stutters and crawls forward.
The long-awaited South Kilburn Regeneration Scheme has been years in the making and promises to continue for well over a decade yet, and for those still living on the sprawling estate, it feels like construction will never end.
When the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) visited Granville Road to talk to residents, construction noise rang out. Residents explained their gripes about the sites, from constant dust to traffic issues and power tools echoing through their homes.
Brent Council’s South Kilburn Regeneration Programme is set to deliver thousands of homes across the area, upgrade infrastructure, and rehome existing tenants, with the aim of completing work in the late 2030s and up to 2040.
‘There is so much noise’
Moses A, who lives in one of the streets surrounding the development of an 18-storey apartment block on Granville Road, says that his family are on constant alert due to the amount of dust produced from the site, and that subcontractors have made parking impossible on the road he has called home for the past 18 years.
“We live in such a confined space; we clean our cars, then tomorrow it’s dirty again. There is so much noise, especially from 8.30am onward.
“I can try to work from home, but there is constant noise, and then if you close the window, it gets too hot, so what do you do?
“My room is covered in dust; there has been a lot of dust getting into my room, especially when it first started. It feels like it is affecting my throat and making my clothes dirty.
“One of the biggest frustrations is definitely the parking. Usually, parking is quite limited anyway, but by the time you arrive, it’s already full.”
Granville Road, where residents are struggling with the impact of a nearby construction site(Image: LDRS)
Residents are broadly supportive of the estate’s rebuild, which is happening in phases with old deteriorating housing blocks replaced. But there are clear downsides to living in the middle of the work.
Moses said: “There are pros and cons. The houses look nice, and what it’s done for South Kilburn is make it look more modern, but it’s just what it does to us: the noise, the dust, and the limited car space.”
In a recent Lead Member and Officer’s Report to Brent Council’s Cabinet, submitted as part of a process to choose a new lead developer for the next phases of the regeneration, a segment referenced the “inevitable consequences of large-scale, long-term regeneration and construction programmes”.
The report said: “The community is also experiencing noise, dust, traffic disruption and increased anti-social behaviour, the inevitable consequences of large-scale, long-term regeneration and construction programmes.
“This experience has been exacerbated due to programme delays arising from viability challenges and tough economic conditions.”
Ballymore has been chosen to lead the next phase of work at South Kilburn. The overall project has suffered delays which in turn has led to antisocial behaviour, fly-tipping and squatters on some unfinished parts of the estate. Meanwhile even those sections that have been completed have seen issues, with some of the newbuilds suffering from disrepair, damp and mould.
‘I’m constantly cleaning’
Another resident, who did not wish to be named, said that the ongoing construction work meant they had to clean their rooms daily due to layers of dust coming through the window.
They said: “I feel like I’m constantly cleaning; it is never-ending. I know this is needed, but it’s been going on for a while now, and I am getting fed up with the constant maintenance.
“I mean, it’s been so hot recently that I’ve had to keep my windows open, as the ventilation isn’t great in these houses, but it’s become a real challenge with the noise and the dust; I just feel like I am choosing between one annoyance or another.”
Just over the road from Granville Road, Moses Onek, a resident of Craik Court, a soon-to-be demolished block, told the Local Democracy Service that he has been left waiting for any communication about his move to the new flats, as he and his partner live with their kids in a one-bedroom flat.
Craik Court, where Moses and his family have been left waiting until they are relocated(Image: LDRS)
Mr Onek said that he has been left watching his fellow neighbours move out one by one, as the block he calls home falls apart, from broken windows to several flats being boarded up after criminal use; he eagerly awaits his move.
“For me personally, it’s not really very smooth, put it that way. It’s taking very long, and getting information isn’t very straightforward. They said for me ‘next year’, but I’ve not heard anything since. I don’t know when it will be, and they said I won’t be able to park, but I need my car to work.”
‘We have been suffering’
When the LDRS visited Craik Court, a number of fly-tipped items had been left discarded at the bottom of the flats, which Moses has to walk past every day.
He continues: “At least it will be room for the kids. We are in one bedroom, and we have three kids. The process is very slow. These people moved in here (pointing to the newly finished modern flats next to Craik Court); we thought we were going to be in there. It’s all very confusing, but they said I’m going to be going in another one, but it’s not even finished yet.
“We have been suffering here quite a lot.”
Councillor Robert Johnson, Brent’s Cabinet Member for Housing, Homelessness and Renters, said: “South Kilburn is one of the largest estate regeneration programmes in London and has already delivered (including under construction) 1,954 homes, including 1,239 social rent homes. To date, 933 South Kilburn tenants have moved into new homes and 225 tenants remain to be rehoused.
“We recognise that regeneration of this scale can be disruptive for residents. Construction activity can result in noise, dust and traffic impacts, while the phased nature of redevelopment can create uncertainty for residents who are awaiting rehousing. We understand the frustrations this can cause and work closely with developers and contractors to minimise disruption wherever possible.
“Due to resident confidentiality, we cannot comment on individual housing circumstances. However, we remain committed to rehousing eligible residents and providing clearer timelines and greater certainty as the next phase of the programme progresses.
“The council has recently agreed a new delivery approach for the remaining regeneration sites, which includes stronger recognition of the cumulative impact of construction activity across South Kilburn and a commitment to go beyond standard mitigation measures to address issues such as noise, dust, traffic disruption, anti-social behaviour and fly-tipping.”
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