History of the Grosvenor & Regency Estate
Maps from the mid-18th century show the area around Page, Vincent and Regency Streets as fields. By the 1830s the area developed rapidly, resulting in the small, terraced houses becoming overcrowded and disease-ridden slums.
Westminster City Council (WCC) wanted to rehouse those in the worst slums. Joseph & Smithem's Regency Street flats (Norfolk, Probyn and Jessel) were built in 1902-1904 in the Arts and Crafts style. The blocks were visually superior to traditional model social housing.
Schomberg House was built in 1926-7 by Ashley & Newman and was more conventional in style.
A report by Westminster's Medical Officer for Health in 1928 led to the area (today's chequerboard blocks) being condemned and designated for slum clearance. The report had come about as the result of severe flooding in January 1928 when the Thames burst its banks at Lambeth, leading to the loss of 14 lives and thousands made homeless. An urgent clearance scheme was coordinated by the Grosvenor Estate and WCC.
Sir Edward Lutyens was appointed architect. He was considered an unusual choice to design social housing as he had never designed large-scale housing. At the time Lutyens was working as the consulting architect for the Duke of Westminster and as the Duke had donated the land to WCC for the construction of workers' housing, it was agreed Lutyens would be the architect.
Abady, Edric, Bennett, Princess Mary, Duke's, Tothill and Rogers Houses were built in 1928-1930. Parts of the two largest blocks (Rogers and Tothill) were damaged during the war and demolished in 1970. As a result of this partial demolition, the remaining Lutyens blocks and their lodges and gates were listed in 1970 when protecting social housing was very unusual.
Reference:
Conservation Area Audit 2010; detailed history of the estate