Southwark estate residents vote to demolish four blocks

Residents on a Southwark Council estate have voted in favour of demolishing four tower blocks.

Following an independent ballot run by Open Communities, 86% of the residents on the Ledbury Towers estate voted said yes to the redevelopment option.

The proposal that was put forward to the residents was that all four of the towers will be demolished in phases, starting with Bromyard House, and replaced with new homes.

The new homes will not be built all at once, but in phases and each phase will take around two years to build.

Turnout was 56% of the eligible voters, including residents who have moved from the towers who have the right to return.

The turnout was 77% from the residents who still live in the towers.

After new homes are built to replace the council homes in the towers that are demolished, half of any extra homes built will be council homes at council rents.

First priority for the new homes will go to Ledbury Towers tenants and leaseholders, and those former tenants with a right to return.

‘I would like to thank the residents on the Ledbury estate for their patience and engagement throughout this process,’ said cabinet member for council housing, Cllr Stephanie Cryan.

‘I know these have been challenging times since we first became aware of the problems in the towers and I am very happy we are now in a position to move forward and start work on providing quality homes for our residents.

‘This proposal will not only offer better homes for existing residents, with more up to date designs for energy efficiency and space, but increase the number of new council homes on the estate providing more opportunities for local people living in housing need.’

Jeanette Mason, the chair of the Ledbury Tenants & Residents Association added: ‘I am pleased that following extensive consultation the residents of the Ledbury Towers have had their say on the future of their homes and that they now have a clear way forward and timetable for well-deserved new homes.’

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