Estate residents fear for their homes as council begins redevelopment

By Robert Firth, Local Democracy Reporter

Residents of a South London estate fear their homes will be next for the wrecking ball after a council approved plans to demolish part of it.

People living on Cressingham Gardens in Tulse Hill think demolition of a block on the estate will set in motion the regeneration of the rest of the area.

Lambeth council has greenlit plans to knock-down 12 homes on the estate and replace them with 20 new flats.

It is the second time the council has approved the plans for the redevelopment of the block on Roper’s Walk.

The council cancelled its original planning permission for the regeneration of the flats after residents launched a legal challenge in 2021.

Michael O’Keefe has lived on the estate with his wife, Eileen, since it was completed in 1978.

The 83-year-old said he was worried demolition of the houses would lead to the rebuilding of the entire estate.

He said: “If they get one foot on the estate we will never get them off it – that’s our concern.

“We’ve rejected the plans for the estate time and time again.

“I don’t approve of the plans for Roper’s Walk at all. All you’re looking at is boxes.

“I’ve got room to breathe here. It’s a three-bedroom house. You’ve got nowhere to go in the homes they’re proposing.”

Lisa Watson, 57, who lives in a block behind Roper’s Walk, said she feared her home was next for the wrecking ball.

She said: “Of course I’m concerned about this house.

“We know they want to knock it all down. Obviously it’s prime land on this little strip here.

“I’ve lived here 20 years and I’ve four bedrooms, a small garden at the front, a back garden and parking. It’s nice here.”

Lambeth council announced its intention to demolish all 306 existing homes on the estate and replace them with 464 new-builds in 2012.

In the decade since, residents of Cressingham Garden have brought three legal challenges against Lambeth council’s plans.

Resident Tom Keene said he has been fighting the council’s plans to demolish Cressingham Gardens since moving to the estate around a decade ago.

He says the council should set out rules for any future redevelopment of the estate before ploughing ahead with demolishing individual blocks.

The 47-year-old researcher said: “It seems silly to develop an area of the estate if it does not coincide with a plan for the rest of the estate. It will end up a massive failure.

“It’s shambolic. It’s about Lambeth working out how they can push things through with minimal resistance.”

A spokesman for Lambeth council said: “Lambeth is facing an unprecedented housing crisis, which is why the council has embarked on our biggest housebuilding programme for a generation.

“The new homes at Trinity Rise will provide affordable, family-sized homes, with a communal landscaped garden for existing and future residents.

“The proposals offer 20 new homes that will be warmer, greener and safer, all of which are affordable homes, with 14 at council level rent. These homes will be prioritised for current secure tenants living on Cressingham Gardens.

“Any masterplanning carried out by Homes for Lambeth will take a community led approach, which means working closely with existing residents to ensure the plans for the future of their estates are the best they can be.

“When a regeneration masterplan is delivered, every current secure tenant will be able to move to a brand-new home which meets their needs at council level rent.

“Affordable options are also available to allow resident homeowners to stay on the estate and required adaptations will also be made for these residents.”

Pictured top: Michael O’Keefe (image: Robert Firth)