Campaigners oppose estate regeneration (From Streatham Guardian)

Campaigners oppose estate regeneration in Tulse Hill

8:00am Saturday 27th October 2012 in News

Plans to regenerate a run-down council estate in Tulse Hill are being opposed by many worried residents.

A drop-in session last month floated a number of ideas on how to regenerate it, including resolving the major issues, rebuilding the worst blocks and replacing all the homes.

A council spokesman said afterwards that they were still working with residents and a list of options had yet to be drawn up yet.

But Save Cressingham Gardens campaigners are up in arms and more than a hundred people have already signed a petition worried they have to move out while the estate is rebuilt.

Nicholas Greaves, who helped start the campaign, said: "Residents are reacting to plans saying why should our community have to be uprooted because you have allowed it to fall into a state of disrepair?

"Even though this drastic thing could be happening to us most people have found out about it through Save Cressingham Gardens."

He said there were nearly 300 households on the estate and he and five other campaigners objected to the regeneration at the cabinet meeting on Monday night.

There are concerns the community could be destroyed through relocation and buildings, designed by architect Edward ‘Ted’ Hollamby, a champion of modern low-rise estates in the 20th century, could be lost.

Resident Gerlinde Gniewosz said there was nothing wrong with her flat and many other homes on the estate.

Ms Gniewosz: "As a leaseholder I am being asked to design new homes that I will not be able to afford and am essentially being evicted from my home into which I have invested my life savings."

However, the council described the regeneration as a ‘unique opportunity’ for residents to decide the future of the estate.

Councillor Lib Peck, cabinet member for regeneration and strategic housing, said: "Many of the homes in Cressingham Gardens do not meet the standards we would expect for our residents and small investment is unlikely to bring them up to a significantly better standard.

"That is why we are working with residents to decide how best to regenerate the estate.

"I want to reassure people that we are not interested in doing anything to the estate that doesn’t command the confidence and support of its residents.

"We want to work with residents to realise the best for the estate and believe this is an excellent opportunity for people living on the estate to work with us to improve it."