Co-op Homes: Carnwath Road

Overview

AWICS has been appointed as Independent Tenants’ Advisors for the Carnwath Road development by Co-op Homes.

We can be contacted on our freephone helpline at 0800-321-3054 or by email at carnwathroad@awics.co.uk

Co-op Homes

Co-op Homes are a registered provider owning some 300 properties across London and the South East. They are also a managing agent for thirty other community housing organisations and housing co-ops, providing services to over 2,000 residents. They pride themselves on delivering an excellent management service that meets their customers' needs and expectations whilst also offering value for money.

Co-op Homes was founded in 1986.  Since then they have grown - so now as well as managing their own homes they offer professional management services to thirty independent co-operatives and other community-led housing organisations. They also manage some short life properties that are leased to them by local authorities and other landlords. 

Most of their homes are located across the Greater London and Thames Valley areas. 

In December 2005, they joined the Richmond Housing Partnership (RHP) Group that owns and manages some 9,000 properties in South West London.

Co-op Homes is a registered housing provider with charitable status and is registered with the Regulator of Social Housing. They are members of the National Housing Federation, the Confederation of Co-operative Housing and the London Federation of Housing Co-operatives.

Carnwath Road

Co-op Homes acquired the long leasehold of sixteen units at 1, 3 & 5 Carnwath Road from Shepherds Bush Housing Association in 2007 on the river Thames at Wandsworth Bridge.

Carnwath Road is located immediately adjacent to one of the Thames Tideway sites that means there has been and will continue to be noise disruption that will continue for several years. Sound insulation upgrade work to the properties has been undertaken by Thames Water to reduce the impact of the construction. At the Thames Tideway site at Carnwath Road, spoil is extracted from the tunnelling process and loaded onto barges and shipped East on the Thames.

Co-op Homes entered into a Tripartite Agreement on the 23rd May 2014 with the owner of the adjoining site and Hammersmith Council who are the freeholder of the site.

The broad terms of the Tripartite Agreement can be summarised as follows:

• The agreement governs the planning application and regeneration of 1, 3 & 5 Carnwath Road and 364 & 362 Wandsworth Road.
• Following development of the site Co-op Homes will be granted the long leasehold interest in 22 units (known as Replacement Units and Additional Replacement Units) that will be split into two phases of eight and fourteen units. The long leasehold interest will mirror the existing term of approximately 225 years. The 22 units are clustered together sensibly in a mixed block, most with private entrances.
• Co-op Homes is required to provide vacant possession of the sixteen existing units at 1, 3 & 5 Carnwath Road following completion of the Replacement Units and Additional Replacement units.
• It is intended that the existing residents of 1, 3 & 5 Carnwath Road can move straight into the new homes on the regenerated site.  The phasing has been designed so that the tenants only have to move once, that is considered a significant benefit.
• The deal is effectively structured as a land swap with Co-op relinquishing their current long leasehold interest in sixteen reasonably poor-quality homes to be replaced with the long leasehold interest in 22 newly constructed homes.

After entering into the Tripartite Agreement, the developer obtained a planning permission on 19th December 2014. The planning permission was for 239 new homes in various buildings up to ten storeys in height with additional space for retail, restaurants, pub, wine bar, upgraded Thames path way, hard and soft landscaping, public and private open space, new public realm, pedestrian and cycle routes, car parking and cycle parking.

A second planning permission was granted in December 2020 that reduced the parking on the site and increased the amount of residential units to 269 homes. The impact on Co-op for this revised planning permission was minor.

The nominations agreement within the amended planning permission has changed but this does not impact on the 22 units that Co-op will be receiving as part of the land swap deal.  The nominations for the 22 units remain as agreed within the original Tripartite Agreement whereby sixteen of the units are to be replacement homes at 1, 3 & 5 Carnwath Road and the balance of six units will be offered to people on the housing register operated by Hammersmith and Fulham Borough Council. The rent for the replacement homes will be same as the rent on the existing homes with the additional six homes being available at a social rent. The existing mix of homes compared to the proposed mix of new homes is as follows:

                        Existing           Proposed

1 bed                     3                      7

2 bed                   13                      9

3 bed                     0                      6

Total                    16                     22

Current situation

Since the site has been acquired by Promontoria Hurlingham Ltd, extensive customer engagement with existing residents has been undertaken.  Meetings have been attended by representatives from the developer, the council and Co-op Homes.

The following key issues have been raised by residents:

• Concerns over air pollution while works are going on - Rockwell and the Council explained that there would in fact be less pollution and the air would be cleaner since the closure of the Curry’s car park - there would be less exhaust fumes as vehicles would no longer be arriving and leaving from the car park 7 days a week continuously. They also explained that the machinery used on site is considerably less pollutant than motor vehicles.
• Concerns that the council has not done the section 61 agreement or impact assessment or disability assessment - At the meeting, the Hammersmith & Fulham Borough Council representative reassured residents that the S61 agreement, impact assessment and disability assessments had been carried out legally and all guidance had been followed.
• Homes loss payments and additional costs - Co-op Homes will be working with each resident individually to ensure that specific support needs are met and will compile an overall support package to help residents move. 

• Every household will receive a £7800 home loss payment cost of move into new home
• Cover the cost of curtains and flooring
• Reconnection / Disconnection for white goods
• Any penalty fees for leaving energy supplies or other contracts
• Removal expenses

For temporary relocation, the tenants have been given a guideline rent of:

• 3 beds on or around £3,500
• 2 beds on or around £2,500
• 1 beds on or around £2,000

On 29th March 2023, tenants were issued with party wall notices covering the piling / foundations of the new main building. A copy of the letter can be viewed or downloaded by clicking here. For advice, please contact us as the independent tenants' advisor (see below for contact details).

Moving Forward

Co-op Homes, the Council and the developer are committed to ensuring communication and advice to residents is impartial and fair and have therefore engaged AWICS to be the independent tenant advisor to support and advise residents impartially of the process and rights. 

We can be contacted on our freephone helpline at 0800-321-3054 or by email at carnwathroad@awics.co.uk

AWICS is a Management Consultancy and Training Business that specialises in providing support to those who provide public services.

Our mission statement is: 'Independence, Integrity, Value...'

We have been adding value to clients' businesses and services since 1998.

To contact AWICS please:

Email: enquiries@awics.co.uk 

Telephone 017683 30159 or

Visit our contact page by clicking HERE