‘It’s heartbreaking’: Housing association proposes demolition of historic homes in regeneration project

A housing association plans to demolish 62 flats which date back to 1839 in a move residents have warned will “destroy” an entire community.

Hyde housing will ballot tenants of Bellevue Garden Mansions in Clapham Road, next month on regeneration proposals which would see the complete or partial demolition of their homes as well as the neighbouring Lambeth Self Help homes.

Natasha Waugh, 41, a tenant of 22 years, said: “We’ve built a community and they’re splitting us apart. There is so much history to these buildings, we are proud to live here.”

The proposals promise to make “better use” of the land by creating 452 new homes on the site with a target of 50 per cent “affordable” housing – 194 for social rent and 64 below market rent and affordable sale.

This will be subject to further design consultation, resident ballot and planning approval, Hyde said.

Tim Coombes, 41, a leaseholder in Bellevue Garden Mansions, said: “It’s devastating. It took us so long to find this place and now we have to move out, but nothing is affordable.

“We’ve lived in Stockwell for nine years and have seen a lot of developers coming in and creating homes which are not affordable – a two bed flat on Clapham Road is now £750,000.”

A park, basketball court and nursery in Rhodesia Road are also penned for demolition under the plans.

Ms Waugh said: “It doesn’t just affect us, it affects the whole area – building flats over sports pitches where kids play on their holiday and over a nursery. 

“They’re taking away the livelihoods of people.”

The nursery will be offered a new permanent home, Hyde said, with plans for the site including “accessible play and outdoor spaces”.

Hyde says building more homes on the site is necessary in a borough where more than 30,000 people are on Lambeth council’s housing waiting list and 3,000 families are living in temporary accommodation.

But, residents have hit out at the plans claiming the organisation has overseen the “managed decline” of their properties to facilitate the “money grab” proposal.

Another long-time tenant, Nina, 60, who asked not to give her full name, said the plans were “heartbreaking”.

She said: “Social housing is a great asset in the country and people have their eyes on it ready to be sold off. 

“They’re going to destroy existing social housing for a quarter of a flat at an unaffordable price. 

“Developments are being taken advantage of. What’s happening to the people who should be getting real social housing – people who are working two jobs and can’t pay their rent.”

Bellevue Garden Mansions is a terrace of 10 blocks, built and altered between 1839 and the 1910s. Formerly run by Lambeth council, management was transferred to Hyde in 1999 along with £17.6million of funding from the Government under the Estate Renewal Challenge Fund.

But Bellevue’s residents’ association has criticised Hyde for a “lack of repairs” which it says have spanned the past two decades.

Nina said: “They’ve run it into the ground. They took the bins out of the park so there is rubbish everywhere.

“This park could be a fantastic community space but just trying to keep it clean is a battle.

“Hyde has spent a fortune on these plans but nothing on plans to keep these places and make things better.”

A spokesman from Hyde Housing said they want to hear as many views as possible from tenants.

He said: “We’ve held consultation events for residents and the community, spoken on a one-to-one basis, and the resident steering group has been meeting regularly.

“As a not-for-profit housing association, our social purpose is to provide affordable homes that are safe, decent and energy efficient.

 “Should regeneration go ahead, Bellevue social housing customers will be given the option to move into one of the new homes. 

“Supporting services and maintaining community spaces is a key part of our approach. We’ve recently refurbished the Old Laundry community centre in Stockwell and a new GP surgery will be opening in our old Stockwell office.

“We continue to maintain Bellevue Mansions. Over the past few years, we’ve carried out decorating and roofing works, as well as replacing windows in some homes.”

Pictured top: Bellevue Mansions tenants are fighting back against plans which could see their homes demolished (Picture: Bellevue residents’ association)