Proposal Launched For More Affordable Homes And Health and Wellbeing Hub
The regeneration of Lisson Grove aims to replace the council building in Orchardson Street which is also the home of WAES (labelled 1 on the map below) and the cluster of buildings on Lilestone Street (which include 6 -12 Lilestone, Gayhurst House, Penn House and Greenside Community Centre labelled 2 below) with a mix of up to 300 homes, 50% will be either social housing or intermediate homes, improved and safer public spaces and a Health & Wellbeing Hub at Lilestone Street. These sites were identified as part of the Church Street Masterplan Consultation.
Why are we doing this?
The Lisson Grove programme aims to deliver new affordable homes for people waiting on the Councils housing waiting list. Currently over 430 Church Street residents are waiting on this list for a home that meets their needs. The project will also deliver a new fully accessible Health and Wellbeing hub and high-quality public landscaping.
What's Planned?
New Homes
Up to 300 high-quality homes, 50% of them will be either social rent homes or intermediate rents,* including new homes for residents who live at 6-12 Lilestone Street, Gayhurst House and local residents who have a housing need (subject to a local lettings plan).
* Intermediate Rent is a more affordable way to rent a home in Westminster. It’s designed to help people who don’t qualify for social housing but still struggle with the high cost of renting privately.
Health & Wellbeing Hub
A modern Health and Wellbeing Hub to improve resident access to local services, including:
- A new base for two GP surgeries
- A new purpose-built for WAES and other council services
- Improved resident access to council support services including employment and housing
- Greener, improved public landscaping for the whole community
Timeline
Community Priorities
From extensive engagement over several years, we have identified the following community priorities:
A Welcoming and Inclusive Place
- A calm, homely space rather than a 'town hall'.
- Designed to reflect Church Street's diverse community.
- Welcoming for all ages, backgrounds, and beliefs.
- Promotes belonging, connection and respect.
- Encourages and empower community action.
Outdoor Spaces and Green Spaces
- No loss of green space.
- Improve and maintain existing greenery.
- Increase play options for children.
- Keep playgrounds safe with lockable gates.
- Secure bike storage.
- Better visibility and safety through good lighting and layout.
- Multicultural planting to reflect the diversity of the area.
- Avoid benches and other facilities placed directly outside of people’s homes.
Health, Wellbeing and Support
- A flagship hub with health and wellbeing at its core.
- Inclusive activities and programmes for physical and mental health.
- Easy-to-access support, with a single point of contact.
- “Tell your story once” – no need to repeat personal info.
- Quick help and clear information to navigate services.
Facilities the Community asked for
- Flexible areas for fitness, creativity, and events.
- Community hall, café, additional bookable rooms, and social spaces.
- Nursery/creche, and quiet relaxation areas.
- Exhibition space for local art and a noticeboard for updates.
- Simple, fair booking system with priority for local groups
- Public toilets.
- Reprovision of Community Hall and kitchen, which is used for celebratory events, religious festivals, and birthdays.
Homes and Housing Needs
- Improved ventilation to prevent damp.
- Better building design (e.g. concealed pipes, more windows).
- Accessible lifts.
- Separate kitchens in larger homes.
- Open-plan layouts in smaller homes.
Design Considerations for Lilestone Street
The following sets out the considerations for the Lilestone Street site which has informed our proposals for the Health and Wellbeing Hub and the new homes.
Proposal: Health and Wellbeing Hub
The below sets out our proposals for the Health and Wellbeing hub.
- Community use place at the centre of the scheme.
- Community Landscape.
- Building lines to be established around existing mature trees where possible.
- Sun path key for solar gain to homes and sunlight to communal areas and green spaces.
- Enhance existing green space.
- Opportunity to improve streetscape.
- Improving pedestrian connection to site.
- Height is introduced to create landmark for the hub, and where neighbouring buildings are set back.
Look and Feel:
Calm and homely space that feels different from the council: We are designing a welcoming and inclusive environment that uses natural materials such as timber, and features an open layout that connects seamlessly with the adjacent park. Key public amenities such as seating areas and a café will help foster a sense of community and encourage public use.
Accessibility:
The scheme prioritises accessibility, with step-free access to all internal and external public areas. Multiple lifts will be provided to ensure redundancy and uninterrupted access for all users.
Bookable additional rooms:
Flexible, bookable meeting rooms adjacent to the main hall will offer adaptable spaces for a variety of community uses.
Information/ notice boards:
We are exploring how best to integrate signage, information boards, digital displays, and exhibition areas to enhance user orientation and engagement throughout the building.
Public toilets:
Public toilets accessible to all will be included as part of the scheme.
HUB ORGANISATION:
Groud Floor
A hub for the community and access to essential services
The ground floor is envisioned as a shared space, featuring public amenities such as a café, exhibition area, toilets, seating, community halls, and flexible meeting rooms. The layout is intentionally open and adaptable, designed to accommodate a range of uses from large public events to more intimate gatherings. This space aims to be legible, showcasing the services within the building, representing the local community, and fostering interaction among users.
First Floor
The first floor is publicly accessible, with dedicated areas allocated for Westminster Housing, Employment Services, and Westminster Adult Education Services. These facilities are positioned near the reception and are easily accessible via stairs or lifts The layout is designed to create a clear and welcoming environment, with the potential for these services to be visible from the ground floor. Additionally, the floor includes shared meeting rooms and a roof terrace, available for use by both the services and the public.
Floors 2 - 4
Westminster Adult Education Services (WAES) are located on these floors, with
a central staircase integrated into their layout to promote stair use and reinforce
WAES’s presence near the building entrance. The facilities are expected to support vocational skills training, creative programmes, and English language classes.
Floors 5 - 6
Adult Social Care and Community Access Westminster are located on the upper floors to provide a quieter, more private setting, away from the busy public areas on the ground and first floors. While stair access is available, lifts will be the primary mode of transport. To ensure reliability and efficiency, multiple lifts will be provided, offering both redundancy and rapid movement. We are working closely with fire consultants and engineers to ensure that the lift systems meet the movement and evacuation requirements of vulnerable users.
Floors 7 - 9
Lisson Grove and Paddington Green GP practices are envisaged to occupy the top three floors of the building. Each practice is expected to have a dedicated floor, with ancillary and training spaces located on one of the levels to support collaboration between these key health services.
Orchardson Street – Design Journey
The below sets out the journey the design team has gone through for Orchardson Street. This has led to the following design proposals:
Insights From Early Engagement
Thank you to the 60+ residents we have spoken to about the Lisson Grove Regeneration Programme. Most residents we have spoken to have welcomed the proposals for the Health and Wellbeing hub, the co-location of services for easy access and affordable new housing. The proposed landscaping and outdoor social spaces have also been welcomed.
While seeing potential benefits, some residents have expressed concerns about the scale of the proposed new buildings, the fact that the green space would be in a different location, and the possibility that anti-social behaviour could increase with more people living and working in the area.
If you haven’t had your say yet, we would love to hear from you.
Have your say
Have your say by 14 September. These designs are subject to further development based on your feedback and the feedback of your neighbours. This phase of engagement will run until October this year. Following this, we will come back with updated proposals.
You can let us know what you think about these proposals by:
- Visiting the full exhibition boards hung on the railings at the entrance of Greenside Community Centre, 24 Lilestone St, London NW8 8SR
- By going to: churchstreet.org/have_your_say
- Coming and see us at the Regeneration Space (56 Church Street.
- Call the Regeneration Space on 020 7641 2968
4 Lilestone Street Community Hub Co-design Workshops
Our Community Hubs team has been working closely with over 40 residents on the co-design of a new community hub at 4 Lilestone Street. The focus of the community has been on creating a flexible and welcoming hub. Residents have called for larger, multiuse spaces, dedicated areas for children and young people, and quieter spaces for reflection. Design principles include accessibility, flexibility, and community connection. The workshops have produced a set of community priorities that will not only be informing the final design of the refurbishment of the building to be completed by 2026, but also will inform the design of the permanent hub to be completed by 2033.
Join the summer Co-design programme!
Get creative every Friday to 29 August, 2pm to 4pm at Lilestone Community Hub. Enjoy free arts, crafts, sewing, and painting workshops for all ages. Drop in for one session or come to all!
Find Out More
GO ONLINE
You can keep track of the latest news on the Church Street website at churchstreet.org
IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION
Please email us at [email protected]
