25 October 2012
A London borough that trail-blazed innovative low cost self build projects in the 1970’s is planning a new development for 10-15 homes. If it goes ahead it will be the fourth London Borough that is ‘enabling’ self build projects in the capital.
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Lewisham Council has agreed to research the viability of a self build scheme on the site of the former Watergate School in Church Grove.
Mayor Sir Steve Bullock has called for a feasibility report to be prepared, so it can be brought to the council’s cabinet for approval in early 2013. He also agreed that housing officers should work alongside Lewisham Homes (the organisation that looks after the borough’s social housing) to establish a community group or organisation to assist in the development.
There is a long history of and self-build developments in Lewisham. In 1979 work began on an innovative development to provide 27 self built homes. The homes were all built to designs drawn up by architect Walter Segal. The key to the homes was that they were very simple and cost effective to build, and they could be constructed on tricky, sloping sites. After the success of the first project a further 50 similar self build homes were built in Lewisham (example pictured above).
And across the UK the Walter Segal method of building really caught on, with scores of homesand community facilities built in Bromley, Colchester, Brighton, Manchester and elsewhere in London.
In addition to the new Lewisham proposals the London Boroughs of Newham, Wandsworth and Westminster are also understood to be looking to initiate self build schemes over the coming year.
For more information about the Walter Segal self build approach see www.segalselfbuild.co.uk
