On his recent tour of Packington Estate with the Prince of Wales, Housing Minister Brandon Lewis declared Pollard Thomas Edwards’ scheme was “a prime example of what can be achieved”. The Minister and Prince Charles toured the estate yesterday to publicise the launch of the Prince’s Foundation publication called Housing Communities: What People Want. PTE is working with The Hyde Group and Rydon on a phased development to create 800 new mixed-tenure homes, reintegrating the old estate into the surrounding area alongside the Regent’s Canal. The Prince’s report captures people’s concerns about new out-of-scale buildings replacing the old 1960’s towers. Carol Carter, Hyde’s director of housing, pointed out that Packington demonstrates that it’s not actually necessary to build high rise blocks to meet London’s housing needs. “We’ve proved you can create density, but deliver the sort of thing you see here” she noted at Packington’s Union Square, where affordable homes replicate Islington’s traditional squares and terraces. “If we can do it here, why can’t we do it elsewhere?” During the Prince’s tour, local TV station London Live interviewed residents who enthused about their new homes – and the design process they went through with PTE’s architects. “From day 1 we were allowed to be involved and have our say,” said resident Georgia Spensley. “At the time we didn’t want to move, so having input and making choices made it easier for people to move.” The Prince’s Foundation noted that the Packington Estate is “championed as a successful regeneration of 1960’s housing blocks which has created a mix of high quality private and social housing”. To read the Princes Foundation report on what people are saying about development in their communities, go to http://housing-communities.org/ Related articles - Evening Standard | London Live | Daily Mail | 24 Dash | Royal Correspondent