The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea is planning to build two new blocks through the middle of the Cheltenham Estate, home to the iconic Trellick Tower. The proposed development on Ernö Goldfinger's Grade II-listed Estate will have devastating consequences for a site recognised internationally as one of the finest examples of Modernist social architecture, and for local residents in one of the most under-resourced and overcrowded parts of London.

The Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea is one of the richest boroughs in the country, but North Kensington is one of the most deprived areas. As local residents we are acutely aware of the need for more social housing (many of those on the waiting list are family or friends.) Most of us support RBKC’s drive to build additional homes, and to develop under-used space on our Estate. But the Council’s current plans would put most of the new homes in the north of the borough, widening existing inequalities and stretching already limited resources to breaking point. This proposed development would cut our Estate in two, ripping apart the unique and diverse social fabric that has built up here over the decades. 

As residents we are urging RBKC to begin again. We're calling for an open and transparent competition where residents can be involved in selecting architects who will design a scheme that respects the unique social and architectural heritage of the Cheltenham Estate.