Following the planning committee held by the London Borough of Hackney on 1 July 2020, Dolphin Living won planning permission to redevelop the New Era Estate in Hackney with 199 new, high quality homes and retail space.

Olivia Harris, CEO, commented:

We are delighted with Hackney Council’s decision to grant us planning permission. It not only allows us to continue to provide high quality, affordable homes to London’s key workers close to their places of work but it also guarantees the future of the New Era Estate and the community that lives there. We will build spacious, well-designed homes that will ensure existing and future tenants can live comfortably in their homes for many years to come.

Lindsay Garret, Chair of the New Era Estate Tenants Association, commented:

As a long term resident of the New Era Estate, Chair of the Tenants Association, and a key worker, I am delighted at yesterday’s decision to approve the planning application by Dolphin Living to deliver 199 homes and retail space in the New Era Estate, and secure the long term future of our community. Having homes that we can afford in a place we have lived and worked in for generations is hugely important to us.

Dolphin Living’s objective as a charity is to provide homes in central London at below market rents to allow working Londoners on modest incomes to live in central boroughs close to their places of work.

Its residents typically include traditional key workers with jobs in health care, the emergency services and education, as well as those working in essential sectors of London’s economy, including restaurants, hotels and theatres.

Providing key workers with homes near to their places of work ensures essential services can always be delivered, including times such as the current lockdown, while ensuring those workers have a safe, reliable and reasonable commute.

Families on the estate have backed the plans and whilst construction is underway will live in homes purchased by Dolphin Living in nearby Kingsland Road.

Further information on the rebuilding of New Era Estate can be found on our dedicated page.