Plans to build luxury penthouses in south east London has hit a major hurdle as residents refuse to leave their Grade-II listed homes.
Around 250 residents of Dorchester Court in Herne Hill face uncertainty over their future housing provision and have launched a campaign to raise funds for their legal fight.
The construction of the penthouses would evict tenants with no right to re-home, claim the Dorchester Court Tenants’ Union.
Manaquel Company has applied to build 16 penthouse flats on the roof of Dorchester Court and eight townhouses on the site of the garages on the same estate.
Yet, the plan provokes fear that structural frailties will lead to the demolition of the 96 1930s art deco flats, according to the Herne Hill Society.
This could temporarily remove the community-centred environment, claim campaigners, forcing residents out of their homes.
A long-standing fight
Dorchester Court residents have been locked in a battle with flats freeholder Manaquel, which is seeking to develop the area, for decades.
They claim the community in Herne Hill has experienced numerous attempts from the freeholder to avoid the necessary upkeep of the designated heritage asset.
The long list of issues at the property includes rotting window-frames, cracked windows and a crack in one of the exterior walls covered by tarpaulin.
This extends to potential safety concerns, with wooden support beams holding up weak balconies which require renovation and loose bricks in walls which present a potential falling hazard.
Lead water pipes were uncovered on the estate as well, with the decision taken to install water filtration systems instead of removing the unsafe pipes.
An inefficient and faulty central heating system also troubles tenants, with some becoming ill as a consequence.
One woman, who has asked to remain anonymous, has lived at Dorchester Court for 10 years after moving from Brighton to London in 2015.
One winter the centralised heating system failed in her block, leaving her freezing in a flat which she said reached a maximum of three degrees celsius.
She had to boil water in a kettle to try and stay warm during an arduous winter which left her very ill from tonsillitis and later hospitalised.
She said: “The hospital said to me ‘You were not far off sepsis’.
“I’ve been personally impacted by my health by this estate.”
In response to the need for repairs, Lambeth Council issued Manaquel Co with an improvement notice in 2021 under the Housing Conditions Act (2004).
Manaquel overturned the improvement notice in 2023 on a technicality, allowing the planning application to proceed on Dorchester Court.
Residents are now concerned for their futures at Dorchester Court as the planned construction of penthouses will likely lead to residents being evicted for the works to commence.
Electrician Ben Archard, 51, has resided at Dorchester Court since 2009 and is a member of the Resident’s Association.
He described putting blood, sweat and tears into a place he deeply loves which is now potentially under threat of losing its community core.
Archard sees the Dorchester Court case as a problem existing across London, as communities continue to dissolve when new builds displacing residents.
With renters’ and leaseholders’ rights also a hot topic, Archard touched on the need for reform in order to improve the current property climate.
He said: “If that’s going to change [renters’ and leaseholders’ rights] then places like Dorchester Court need to win the fight.
“They need to be able to stand up to people and prove it can work another way.
“If Dorchester Court goes down it’s another win for the rich guy.”
Renters are affected as well as leaseholders, particularly during the cost-of-living crisis where some are struggling to afford the rent, a proposed increase of which would make the situation even harder.
Prior to the planning application, in 2015 a number of privately rented flats were evicted over protests surrounding rent hikes as per the Dorchester Court Tenants’ Union.
One tenant, who did not wish to be identified, highlighted how renters don’t know where they will go should monthly rent prices go up.
They said: “A lot of the renters I’ve spoken to who can’t pay the proposed increases don’t know where they will go to next.
“A fight for Dorchester Court is also a fight for a way of living.”
Save the community
The legal battle to save Dorchester Court is draining residents of resources and impacting their wellbeing.
Yet, the greatest victim, should the freeholder prevail, would be the possible loss of a community.
The protected heritage site in Herne Hill provides a vital safe space for all generations of people.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, residents ran social media campaigns and events to raise awareness for the social diversity Dorchester Court has to offer.
From anonymous face-covering Instagram posts to celebrations of arts and creativity, the estate is a buzzing hub for a rich diversity of people.
This core element of Dorchester Court could be lost should residents lose the fight to remain in their homes.
In order to challenge the planned construction that would displace tenants, Dorchester Court began a fundraiser.
Property Partners, who represent Manaquel, and Lambeth Council were contacted for comment.
Dorchester Court residents have set up a GoFundMe page.
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