A whole district is being demolished in London: residents are being evicted from their homes.

Residents of a ghost town in London find themselves on the street

According to The Sun: The last residents of a decaying housing complex in southeast London are forced to leave their homes due to local council plans to demolish it and build new ones.

It is estimated that between 80 and 100 families live in the Lesnes complex. This area was built in the 1960s.

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Lesnes residents are protesting against the demolition of their homes.

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The Lesnes complex, located in Thamesmead and known for its appearances in Stanley Kubrick's *A Clockwork Orange* in 1971, is to be replaced by 1,950 new apartments.

The redevelopment plan was approved by Bexley Council in 2022, and most previous residents have already found new homes.

However, some residents are willing to 'go through everything' to stay in their apartments.

Activists still living on the site have appealed to former Housing, Communities and Local Government Secretary Angela Rayner to revoke the approval of the plan.

However, representatives from the Ministry of Housing did not grant this request last month.

One resident even threatened to bring the case to the UN and the European Court of Human Rights.

69-year-old Roz Asengua, who has lived in the complex for 18 years, shared with MyLondon:

“This is England. You can't just come into people's homes and say you want them.”

This is a community where she raised three children with her husband Matthew over the past two decades.

Now Roz worries that she won't be able to get a mortgage at her age if she is forced to leave her home, calling the council's actions 'pure evil.'

Peabody is a housing association that works with Bexley Council on regeneration projects in south London.

Matthew notes that he has no contract with them: “I shouldn't have to ask Peabody for anything for my property, which is free.”

He is considering legal action.

A representative from Bexley Council commented: “The council is aware of the deep feelings of long-standing residents; however, the regeneration is being carried out by Peabody and is not subject to direct council management.”

New homes are already appearing in Thamesmead as 'investment opportunities.'

Jeffrey Woodward, who has lived on Lesnes Estate for 40 years, believes that empty properties could be used for social housing.

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The 79-year-old man bought his home from the council with his wife after renting since 2004.

He now lives there with his wife, three children, and three grandchildren, in a place he considers home.

Peabody offered financial assistance to Lesnes residents to purchase other housing units prior to the complex's demolition.

Residents were offered three options: to purchase similar housing from the 1960s on a nearby site, a new residential complex, or alternative housing in Thamesmead and elsewhere.

They were also offered the market value of their home plus 10% as compensation.

The developer is willing to cover any potential price differences between current and new housing, paying up to half the cost.

 

“For example, someone who sells their home on Lesnes Estate for £275,000 can potentially buy a new home for £600,000,”

said a representative from Peabody.

 

“They will still own 100% of the home. We do not charge any interest or fees for our share and only take our share back when the house is sold.”

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35% of the 1,950 new housing units should be affordable for people with low incomes.

However, Jeffrey declines the offer, feeling indebted to Peabody for life.

At the same time, he notes that other options from Peabody do not meet his needs.

Jeffrey added:

“This is not necessary. You should not make me homeless. You should not take what I paid for.”

Peabody claims that the regeneration will benefit the entire Thamesmead community by demolishing 596 homes to construct 1,950 new ones.

This will lead to a 230% increase in housing stock in the region.

They noted:

“The redevelopment of the Lesnes complex aims to benefit the entire community – economically, environmentally, and socially.”

In 2020, Peabody conducted a vote in which 65.4% of residents participated, of which 70.2% expressed a desire to be included in broader plans for South Thamesmead.

A representative from Peabody added:

“The South Thamesmead community is strong, and we want it to remain that way.”

“While the residents of the Lesnes complex will have to leave their current homes, they do not necessarily have to leave South Thamesmead if they do not want to.”

Alamy Lesnes residents face serious challenges when leaving their old homes that have become dear to them. The redevelopment plan involves a significant increase in housing stock, but its implementation raises concerns among residents who could be left homeless. It remains to be seen how the situation will develop and whether Lesnes residents will find adequate options for new registration in their native areas.