Neighbours in Kilburn have given a 'cautious' welcome to Brent Council's decision to rethink a controversial development.

Brent Council has announced it will reconsider the scale of its ambitious plan for extra housing on the Kilburn Square Co-op estate – a decision welcomed by residents and the wider local community.

The design proposal for the estate is set to be adapted through collaboration with residents.

The “mini-Master Plan”, dubbed by neighbours Plan A, was first revealed to the Co-op chair in September 2020 and published to residents a month later.

%image(15545148, type="article-full", alt="Protestors in front of some of the "beautiful trees" along Victoria Road which the current Kilburn Square plan from Brent Council would remove.")

Residents and neighbours felt the scheme was far too big.

The previous plan included a second 17-storey tower and an additional five to seven-storey building next to it.

Three new satellite buildings will remove some mature trees and vital green space enjoyed by the community.

As reported in this paper, frustration at the ineffectiveness and limited scope of pre-consultation with residents and neighbours prompted a petition in July to senior Council figures, MP Tulip Siddiq and the Mayor of London – calling for a smaller scheme.

Keith Anderson, chairman of the Residents’ Association Kilburn Village – whose coverage includes the estate – and spokesperson for the Kilburn Square Stakeholders Group appeared at Brent's Council meeting on September 20 to ask for a revision of the scheme.

He said: “We are sorry it’s taken so long to reach this stage, but we are grateful to Cllr Southwood for honouring her word and finally engaging with residents and the community at large to agree on a much smaller scheme, not driven solely by the council’s housing targets.

"There are many details to be discussed as the initial proposals appear to fall short of our expectations, and we welcome the continued involvement of Source Partnership alongside the project team, to continue their mission of supporting the estate residents”

Cllr Southwood, Brent’s cabinet member for housing and welfare reform, said the council had received "incredibly helpful feedback" from residents adding: "After careful consideration, we have agreed to amend the existing design, working with residents of Kilburn Square.

"We will shortly be holding several engagement events, and I’d encourage all tenants and leaseholders to get involved.

"By doing this, we can make sure the new homes we build and the changes we make across the estate are as good as they can be for the community, for future residents and the council.”