The Story of Queen's Park Since 1967

After the Second World War the London County Council decided to demolish part of Queen's Park and build new blocks of flats on the site. The original houses were only two storeys high so it seemed obvious that more people could be packed on the site and thus help to solve London's intense housing problems.

In 1967 the Greater London Council compulsorily purchased just over 3 acres of the Queens Park estate, comprising Mozart Street, parts of Herries St and Lancefield St. This affected 60 houses, 8 shops, an off-license and other commercial properties. By 1977 Westminster City Council had built 737 flats and maisonettes in 29 blocks. Many blocks were connected by overhead walkways to separate pedestrians from car traffic. In 1973 the estate won a medal and a diploma for good design.

Ironically, as this was being celebrated, tenants were clamouring to move out of their new council houses because of hooligans 'who swarm into the estate' ---'a great deal of stone throwing and children hurt by stones.' and similar complaints. In 1976 there were newspaper reports of vandalism and the Mozart Tenants' Association protested. By 1978 there were reports of water penetration of the flats and a tenant sued the council because black mould had appeared in her flat caused by condensation on un-insulated walls. The Council was asked to reduce the cost of electricity because the flats were too cold and the tenants could not afford to heat them.

Parts of the original Queen's s Park demolished to
create the Mozart Estate and Harrow Road Estates