New development opens in Haringey

On Monday 14th December L&Q's North East Neighbourhood celebrated the official opening of Saxon Chase, one of L&Q's newest developments in Haringey.

The original homes were purchased by L&Q in 1987 and leased to Haringey Council to provide accommodation for their residents. With the end of the lease approaching and the homes nearing the end of their lifespan, the decision was made to seek planning approval to redevelop the site.

Planning approval was granted in September 2006 and in 2008 the developer Durkan began the process of building 42 new, high quality mixed-tenure homes. Residents have already benefited from improvements in building and design standards, energy efficiency, security and landscaping.

A key theme of the development was the level of consultation between L&Q and the returning residents. A steering group of returning residents was involved from the outset and was given the chance to have input on fundamental design decisions. Even the name of the scheme was chosen by residents to reflect the area's historical links with Saxon activity.

Jenny Camara, Chair of the Returning Residents Committee, spoke at the event and expressed her delight with the finished scheme: "It has been a long journey but one we would repeat 1,000 times over."

"L&Q and Durkan have delivered a good build and I want to thank L&Q for not just listening to our feedback, but for incorporating our input into the design and build of our new homes."

Guest speaker Cllr John Bevan, Haringey Council Cabinet Member for Housing, said: "This is a wonderful example of partnership working involving the community. I am really happy to see this project become a reality, providing wonderful homes for the people of Haringey."

L&Q Chief Executive David Montague described the development as "A perfect example of the benefits of partnership working. By using a collaborative approach with Haringey Council, Durkan and the Returning Residents Group we have been able to successfully deliver high quality homes that fully meet the needs of the residents."