A major milestone in The Barnet Group’s community-led estate renewal in Hendon has been celebrated by members of the Council and community. The VIPs were given a tour of the homes as well as the extra care scheme at Hester Court, to mark works completed at Upper and Lower Fosters.

Construction, led by award winning housebuilder, The Hill Group, started in 2022 and is set to transform the existing neighbourhood while retaining most of the existing homes. 217 homes, along with new community facilities, public spaces and an extra-care scheme for adults living with dementia are being built. This project, co-designed by residents, neighbours, and community organisations, is the first of its kind by The Barnet Group, owned by Barnet Council.

To celebrate this exciting stage in the delivery of construction, representatives from The Hill Group, The Barnet Group and Barnet Council, including Deputy Leader of the Council, Cllr Ross Houston and newly elected MP for Hendon David Pinto-Duschinsky attended a topping out ceremony alongside residents of the estate.

The tour culminated in the unveiling of a mural which displays a striking poem, from local writer Victoria London. It serves as the centrepiece, complemented by illustrations by local students and community groups. Victoria, a former resident of the Fosters Estate, created the poem ‘The Feathered Loves’, which is inspired by well-known local birds and touches on moving messages of love and hope.

Sadly, Victoria passed away before the project’s completion. However, friends and family were present to see her work commemorated in the spot she once called home. Victoria London’s Granddaughter, Jennifer, comments: “My grandmother lived on the Fosters Estate for over fifty years, raising her children and grandchildren and then going on to retire. She was known for tending to a little local garden but lots of people didn’t know she also wrote poetry. She was really pleased her poem would get put up in the estate. She would love the children’s illustrations of the poems as they would really have made her smile.”

To bring the poem to life, Sage Homes, the affordable housing partner commissioned illustrations from children living in and around the Upper & Lower Fosters development to represent key moments in the poem. These will be displayed along the hoarding as a touching tribute that will be on display in the weeks to come.

Cllr Ross Houston, Deputy Leader of Barnet Council & Cabinet Member for Homes and Regeneration said: “It was amazing to walk around the Fosters Estate and see the hard work of residents, The Barnet Group, Council staff, and our Partners in bringing their ideas for a new neighbourhood with community at its heart to life. This is a best practice example of innovative, community-led co-production that has delivered more affordable homes with high sustainability and accessibility credentials, and something to champion as a model for others to learn from.”

Simon Trice, Managing Director at The Hill Group, added: “It has been a pleasure working in partnership with The Barnet Group on this development to create 217 new homes and we are thrilled to reach this important milestone.  Once complete, the residents of Barnet will benefit from living in high-quality, energy-efficient homes designed to last for generations.  The project not only meets the immediate hosing needs but also creates a sustainable, lasting legacy for the community.”

Upper and Lower Fosters is a new development of one, two and three-bedroom apartments and two-bedroom homes, available via Shared Ownership. Hester Court will deliver 75 extra care rooms which Your Choice Barnet will manage and anticipate taking handover in early 2025. The new development is a part of a larger project named ‘Reimagining Fosters’ which will deliver new and upgraded homes for the wider Barnet area.