Bellevue Mansions, Clapham Road

By refurbishment we mean updating various components of the buildings, including electrics, heating system, insulation etc, to bring it up to required modern standards.

Regeneration would mean demolishing the building entirely and rebuilding it.

Issues such as damp, the insulation of the building and how easy (and costly) it is for residents to warm their homes are our main concerns. In addition to these issues, an older building like Bellevue Mansions, which was built in the 1800’s, becomes harder to maintain as time goes on. There are also now more requirements from the Government for us to use sustainable energy for heating and hot water and to significantly improve safety across all housing. Meeting these expectations in Bellevue Mansions is going to require significant work and cost, whichever approach we take.

We want residents at Bellevue Mansions to live in a high quality and safe building and so action must be taken in some form on the building. Our responsibilities as a landlord mean that there is no ‘do nothing’ option. We need to carry out some work at Bellevue Mansions in order to make sure that all of the accommodation in the building is up to required standards.

We’ve carried out a survey of the building to find out what work would be needed and what the likely cost would be. We’ve also reviewed the site and completed a very high-level assessment of what we might be able to build on the site. We’ve also completed a financial assessment to make sure that we can afford the work we need to do.

We do not have a design or plan in mind for the regeneration. It is very early days and much more design work would be needed before we can say what a new building could look like.

Residents will need to vote to show if they support, or are against, the regeneration proposal. No vote has taken place yet and it will not take place for about a year. The resident ballot will be carried out by an independent agency, not Hyde.

Regeneration will not go ahead unless there is a majority vote (51% or more) from residents. If the ballot is lower than 51% in favour, then the proposals to regenerate the estate would not go ahead. Following this, we would have to look at the refurbishment to Bellevue Mansions.

A steering committee is a group of residents who would work with us to develop new designs, and the policies that set out your rights as current residents. We encourage all residents to consider joining the steering committee as these are vital aspects of the project that will affect everyone. Having a diverse range of views will mean that we are more likely to reach a consensus that suits the majority. If you’re interested in joining, please let us know. Our email is [email protected].

It's important to us that residents are included in decisions wherever possible. This is why we’re involving you at an early stage so that we can decide the future of Bellevue Mansions together.  

Meetings are likely to be online via Zoom, and roughly every two months.

You will not be made homeless.

If Bellevue Mansions is refurbished, you are likely to remain living in your property.

If Bellevue Mansions is regenerated, then tenants will have to move into a temporary home while the new homes are being built. After this, you will have the right to return to a newly built home. While the homes are being built, we’ll do our best to re-house tenants in Lambeth Borough and as close to Bellevue Mansions as possible.

In either situation we’ll try to keep the terms of your existing tenancy agreement the same, including rent and service charges. However, we cannot guarantee this.

If the estate is refurbished, it is likely that you will remain in your current property, and the layout will stay the same. If the estate is regenerated, then you will be able to move to a property more suitable to your household's needs.

We can consider this if we’re able to find appropriate alternative accommodation for you.

We will pay tenants a fixed amount to compensate for the disruption caused by moving, which is set by the Government. Currently this is £8100 but it changes in-line with inflation each year. So, it is likely to be more than this by the time we know if we are refurbishing or regenerating the building.

We’ll also pay for removal costs and other disturbance costs such as mail redirection and reconnection of ovens and hobs.

If Bellevue Mansions is refurbished, then you and your household can remain living in your current home. There will be some disruption as we carry out the necessary works to bring the building up to the standards required.

If Bellevue Mansions is regenerated, then we’ll offer you an option to return to the regenerated estate if you’d like to. The specific terms haven’t been worked out yet, and we’d like to work with leaseholders in developing the offer so that it provides you with the best outcome possible.

You can also sell your property back to us and move permanently if you wish. We would buy your home at the current market rate and would offer you disturbance payments, and 10% compensation. For landlords our offer would be disturbance payments and 7% compensation.