More than half of the residents who responded to door-to-door surveys at Ekin Road in Abbey ward are in favour of partial or full redevelopment of the housing estate there in order to provide new, sustainable council homes.

Independent canvassers visited each household on the estate between 24 October and 17 November to engage with residents and ask them to carry out confidential surveys. Residents were asked for their opinions on three potential options for the estate which had been approved for further review by Cambridge City Council in September. These options are:

• Retain the buildings in existing form and undertake essential repairs and retrofitting
• Partial redevelopment involving retention of houses to the south and east of the estate
• Full redevelopment of the estate

Completed surveys were received back from 63 out of 122 households approached. Of those who responded, 57% supported redevelopment of the estate. Asked which redevelopment option they preferred if redevelopment were to go ahead, 49% of the 63 respondents said they would be in favour of complete redevelopment and 24% in favour of partial redevelopment; 25% did not answer.

Issues related to the current condition of the estate which were highlighted by residents in the survey as being ones they would like to see addressed by any potential redevelopment included:

• Personal safety on the estate
• Mould, damp or condensation problems in properties
• Temperature issues in properties
• Availability of open spaces
• Lighting issues
• Access issues

Among the aspirations for the Ekin Road estate mentioned by residents who took part in the survey were improving sustainability, increasing the quality of council housing and the number of council homes there, reducing crime and antisocial behaviour, and preserving the sense of neighbourhood. 

Full details of the survey results are being published as part of a report on the project’s dedicated website www.ekinroad.co.uk from 29 November. Residents are also being informed of the survey results by letter and there will be an opportunity for them to discuss the survey at the next meeting of the Ekin Road Resident Liaison Group on 6 December.

Canvassing was carried out by the company Marengo Communications, who were taken on by Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) the council’s independent advisors appointed to assess a number of potential options for the estate. The survey was promoted on the project website www.ekinroad.co.uk, and through letters and visits to every household affected. In addition, confidential appointments were available for residents to discuss their personal circumstances and ask any questions they may have.

Analysis work on the findings from the residents’ survey will now take place. This will enable JLL to develop a draft report, scheduled for publication in February 2024.

There are then due to be two further public consultation events in March and June, giving people the chance to comment on and ask questions about the draft report and the recommended options, before a final report is due to be submitted for approval to the council’s Housing Scrutiny Committee in June. Residents will be contacted with full details about these meetings before they take place.

The Ekin Road estate currently has more than 120 flats, maisonettes and houses built in the 1950s-60s, including many council homes. Many of the properties there have ongoing maintenance issues and do not meet current standards for sustainability. Ekin Road was identified as an estate to be considered for possible redevelopment in a report presented at the council’s Housing Scrutiny Committee in September 2021.

Since then, the council has started to explore potential options for the estate and in June 2022 began an engagement process with residents to collect feedback from the community. More information on the project so far can be found at www.ekinroad.co.uk

Cllr Gerri Bird, Executive Councillor for Housing and Homelessness, said: “I would like to thank all the Ekin Road residents who took part in the recent surveys. The results will now be analysed closely by our independent advisors, along with other data including from assessment of properties. This will help them to prepare a draft report incorporating the findings from the surveys, ahead of further public consultation and close engagement with Ekin Road residents in the spring.

“We know that discussions about the future of the estate have been unsettling for some people at Ekin Road. However, all of this ongoing preparatory work, involving speaking to as many residents as possible, has been vital to help us understand which of the three options is going to be most beneficial for the largest number of people.

“As we have said before, if partial development or fuller redevelopment of the estate is eventually recommended, we would do everything we can to support residents throughout the process. We would also commit to increasing the number of council homes there while retaining Ekin Road’s real sense of community.

“We have a very experienced council team who would help tenants find an alternative home elsewhere in Cambridge either temporarily or permanently, to really suit their individual needs. Private homeowners in this situation would also be given compensation if partial or full redevelopment affecting them was approved. All council tenants and where possible, those owning their homes, would have the opportunity to move back following any redevelopment.

“Investigating potential options to improve the Ekin Road estate is part of our wider work to improve the condition of council-owned housing across the city and our successful ongoing programme to build hundreds of new council homes. We think that all Cambridge residents deserve comfortable homes to enjoy, with lower energy bills and modern amenities.”

Residents can contact the council at any time with questions or concerns at ekinroad@cambridge.gov.uk or by phoning 07563 421031. They can also contact their elected Tenant and Leaseholder representatives at hsc.residents@gmail.com