London Estate Regeneration: Residents Fight Back

0:00On March 31, London's estate regeneration plans are under fire for making lifehorses for residents, forcing people out and wiping out social, housing. Green Party member Zoe Garbit dropped a report warning, Mayor Sadiq Khan, that despite new rules, the same broken system rolls on. Since 2018, landlords need resident ballots to knock down social homes, plus promises for more affordable units and rights to stay, or return. The Garbit says it still pushes luxury bills over real needs, hitting 139 estates now, after 160 got redone since, 1997, touching 55,000 households. Residents feel sidelined with no time or info to fight back, calling it a democratic joke. Past data shows 50 estates from 2004 to 2014, doubled in density, but lost 8,300 social rent homes. But Lesnes' estate in Temsmead, folks who've lived their decades refused to budge despite threats. Peabody, the housing group behind Lesnes, plans to replace 596 homes with 1,950 new

1:06ones, offering, market value plus 10% cash, or hell buying nearby. A 2020 ballot got 70% support, but one resident lost a legal challenge over dodgy environmental info. Garbit pushes fixes like better ballots, a community fund for resident-led plans, and tough rules on city funding to stop this placement. The mayor says he'll read it, but residents demand real action now to end the rot.