Waltham Forest: celebrations as tower block is demolished

L&Q held an event last week to celebrate the demolition of All Saints Tower, the last remaining tower block on the Beaumont Estate in Waltham Forest.

The estate was built in the 1960s and previously contained 898 rented homes in a mixture of tower blocks, low-rise blocks and bungalows. At its peak up to 5,000 people lived there.

Residents, police and the wider community had been concerned about poor living conditions and high levels of anti-social behaviour in the tower blocks for years.

L&Q took over the estate in September 2002 and is regenerating it by building new homes, refurbishing some of the older ones and investing in community facilities and activities. The regeneration is overseen by a residents’ neighbourhood committee and is currently ahead of schedule.

L&Q Chief Executive David Montague said: “The scale of the transformation on the Beaumont Estate is remarkable and it just goes to show that when you work together in partnership you can achieve miracles.”

Local MP Harry Cohen added: “I am delighted that these tower blocks have finally come down. I commend L&Q on its consultation and planning and am proud to say that Beaumont is no longer a sink estate, it is now a community estate.”

The regeneration of the Beaumont Estate is part of a wider £100 million-plus investment L&Q is making in Waltham Forest.