Heygate Estate
Encyclopedia
The Heygate Estate is a large housing estate
located in Walworth
, Southwark
, south
London
. The estate is currently under demolition.
Heygate is one of the most high-profile estates in the United Kingdom
, due to its notoriety and usage as a filming location. The estate is situated adjacent to Walworth Road and New Kent Road
, and immediately east of the Elephant and Castle
road intersection.
, further south in Walworth
.
Designed by Tim Tinker, the estate was completed in 1974.
The estate was once a popular place to live, the flats being thought light and spacious, but the estate later developed a reputation for crime, poverty and dilapidation. Residents complained about constant noise, crime and threats of violence. The sheer scale of many of the blocks also meant there was little sense of community.
regeneration is a £1.5billion scheme to redevelop the area around the Elephant and Castle road junction. The first phase includes the complete demolition of the Heygate Estate, to be replaced with 2,500 new homes.
In July 2007, a consortium of Lend Lease, First Base and Oakmayne were chosen as developers for the Elephant and Castle regeneration scheme.
In July 2010, final planning approval for the Elephant and Castle regeneration was granted by Southwark Council.
In April 2011, demolition started on the Heygate Estate.
The remainder of the estate is not due to be demolished until 2015. The reason for such a lengthy process is due to large amounts of asbestos within the estate's construction.
and location, the estate has been extensively used as a filming location. Films have included Attack the Block
, Shank and Harry Brown
and The Bill
TV series. High profile music videos, including "Love Don't Let Me Go
" by David Guetta
have also been filmed on the estate. In total, 76 films have been made on the estate over three years to 2010, earning Southwark Council £91,000 in royalties.
Housing estate
A housing estate is a group of buildings built together as a single development. The exact form may vary from country to country. Accordingly, a housing estate is usually built by a single contractor, with only a few styles of house or building design, so they tend to be uniform in appearance...
located in Walworth
Walworth
-Places:United Kingdom* Walworth, County DurhamUnited States* Walworth County, South Dakota* Walworth County, Wisconsin* Walworth, New York* Walworth, Wisconsin, a village* Walworth , Wisconsin, a town...
, Southwark
London Borough of Southwark
The London Borough of Southwark is a London borough in south east London, England. It is directly south of the River Thames and the City of London, and forms part of Inner London.-History:...
, south
South London
South London is the southern part of London, England, United Kingdom.According to the 2011 official Boundary Commission for England definition, South London includes the London boroughs of Bexley, Bromley, Croydon, Greenwich, Kingston, Lambeth, Lewisham, Merton, Southwark, Sutton and...
London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. The estate is currently under demolition.
Heygate is one of the most high-profile estates in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, due to its notoriety and usage as a filming location. The estate is situated adjacent to Walworth Road and New Kent Road
New Kent Road
New Kent Road is a road in the London Borough of Southwark. The road was created in 1751 when the Turnpike Trust upgraded a local footpath. This was done as part of the general road improvements associated with the creation of Westminster Bridge; in effect it was possible to travel from the West...
, and immediately east of the Elephant and Castle
Elephant and Castle
The Elephant and Castle is a major road intersection in south London, England, located in the London Borough of Southwark. It is also used as a name for the surrounding area....
road intersection.
Construction
The concept behind the construction of the estate was of a modern living environment. The neo-brutalist architectural aesthetic was one of tall, concrete blocks dwarfing smaller blocks, surrounding central communal gardens. The architect's concept was to link all areas of the estate via concrete bridges, so there was no need for residents to walk on pavements or along roads. In fact, it was even planned to build bridges to the neighbouring Aylesbury EstateAylesbury Estate
The Aylesbury Estate is a large housing estate located in Walworth, South East London.Along with the Ferrier Estate, Aylesbury is considered the most notorious estate in the United Kingdom. It was for this reason that Tony Blair chose to make his first speech as Prime Minister here, in an effort to...
, further south in Walworth
Walworth
-Places:United Kingdom* Walworth, County DurhamUnited States* Walworth County, South Dakota* Walworth County, Wisconsin* Walworth, New York* Walworth, Wisconsin, a village* Walworth , Wisconsin, a town...
.
Designed by Tim Tinker, the estate was completed in 1974.
The estate was once a popular place to live, the flats being thought light and spacious, but the estate later developed a reputation for crime, poverty and dilapidation. Residents complained about constant noise, crime and threats of violence. The sheer scale of many of the blocks also meant there was little sense of community.
Regeneration
The Elephant and CastleElephant and Castle
The Elephant and Castle is a major road intersection in south London, England, located in the London Borough of Southwark. It is also used as a name for the surrounding area....
regeneration is a £1.5billion scheme to redevelop the area around the Elephant and Castle road junction. The first phase includes the complete demolition of the Heygate Estate, to be replaced with 2,500 new homes.
Timeline of Developments
In February 2004, the masterplan for regenerating the Elephant and Castle, including the demolition of the Heygate Estate, was adopted by Southwark Council.In July 2007, a consortium of Lend Lease, First Base and Oakmayne were chosen as developers for the Elephant and Castle regeneration scheme.
In July 2010, final planning approval for the Elephant and Castle regeneration was granted by Southwark Council.
In April 2011, demolition started on the Heygate Estate.
The remainder of the estate is not due to be demolished until 2015. The reason for such a lengthy process is due to large amounts of asbestos within the estate's construction.
Heygate in popular culture
Due to its urban decayUrban decay
Urban decay is the process whereby a previously functioning city, or part of a city, falls into disrepair and decrepitude...
and location, the estate has been extensively used as a filming location. Films have included Attack the Block
Attack the Block
Attack the Block is a 2011 British science fiction action film written and directed by Joe Cornish. The film stars Jodie Whittaker, John Boyega, Alex Esmail, Franz Drameh, Leeon Jones, Simon Howard. Set on a council estate in South London on Bonfire night, the film follows a street gang which have...
, Shank and Harry Brown
Harry Brown (film)
Harry Brown is a 2009 British action drama film directed by Daniel Barber and starring Michael Caine, Emily Mortimer, Jack O'Connell, and Liam Cunningham....
and The Bill
The Bill
The Bill is a police procedural television series that ran from October 1984 to August 2010. It focused on the lives and work of one shift of police officers, rather than on any particular aspect of police work...
TV series. High profile music videos, including "Love Don't Let Me Go
Love Don't Let Me Go
"Love Don't Let Me Go" is a house song performed by French DJ David Guetta featuring Chris Willis as the second single from the album Just a Little More Love...
" by David Guetta
David Guetta
Pierre David Guetta , known professionally as David Guetta , is a French house music producer and DJ. Originally a DJ at nightclubs during the 1980s and 1990s, he co-founded Gum Productions and released his first album, Just a Little More Love, in 2002. Later, he released Guetta Blaster and Pop Life...
have also been filmed on the estate. In total, 76 films have been made on the estate over three years to 2010, earning Southwark Council £91,000 in royalties.
External links
- E&C Regeneration - Southwark Council website
- In Pictures: The Heygate Estate, SE17 – A Modern Secret Garden? - Londonist, 3 April 2011