You may be aware that the programme to redevelop the Aylesbury    Estate has been making significant progress. The Area Action Plan will be submitted in early 2009, and work will shortly commence on the first development site in the south west corner of the estate which will provide 260 new homes and a new resource centre for people with physical or sensory disabilities.

The Aylesbury redevelopment programme is an ambitious programme which will replace the existing estate with a high quality, mixed-tenure neighbourhood with new infrastructure, parks, open spaces, and community facilities.

Southwark Council, the Aylesbury New Deal for Communities (NDC) team and a range of partners are working hard to build a robust business case for this challenging programme which will, during its 15-20 year lifetime, require a coordinated approach from a wide range of public and private agencies. In support of this, a Private Finance Initiative (PFI) bid will be submitted to Government in October.

To take the scheme forward it is crucial that our funding approaches to public sector agencies are carefully coordinated and we believe that the best way of achieving this is through the establishment of senior partnership team to bring together major public sector agencies and provide focus, direction and coordination.

It is proposed that the key aims of the partnership will comprise;

• Ensuring the smooth and coordinated progress of existing funding applications
•  Anticipating and advising on new funding opportunities
• Promoting Aylesbury as an exemplar of high quality and sustainable urban renewal

The summit is intended to ‘kick start’ the partnership and we anticipate a schedule of 6-monthly meetings with on-going support coming from a technical team of officers from key organisations.

The development of the Aylesbury has had too many false starts. We must work together together to ensure that we deliver a new sustainable neighbourhood that we can all be proud of.