Croydon Council has set out options for the future of homes at Regina Road, which includes refurbishing or demolishing and redeveloping the South Norwood estate.
This follows an in-depth review into the construction of the 1960s housing blocks, recurring repair issues and poor conditions in homes, and conversations with residents to understand their views and experiences.
A cabinet report published today outlines the options and seeks approval from Croydon’s Executive Mayor, Jason Perry, to begin formal consultation with residents on next steps for the future of their homes and local community.
Tenants and leaseholders have already had the opportunity to provide initial feedback on the option of redeveloping or refurbishing their estate which has informed the report. If approved at Cabinet, wider consultation will take place with every resident living at Regina Road – seeking to understand their individual circumstances, concerns and hopes for the future of their estate.
This builds on work by housing officers, who have run regular drop-ins at the estate since 2021 and established the Regina Road Reference Group to amplify the voice of residents.
The council is looking at the future of Regina Road as part of its housing improvement plan, which looks to transform its housing services across the board.
At the heart of this plan is the need to ensure tenants are treated with respect in every interaction with the council and provided with warm, safe, dry homes that they are proud to live in.
Through its improvement plan, the council is also taking a wider focus to make sure it is properly assessing and surveying its stock – making sure it meets residents’ needs with modern social housing for years to come.
In developing options for the future of Regina Road, the council’s housing teams will also be able to gather feedback and information which will inform future work across their housing stock – including other high-rise blocks built in the same way as those at Regina Road.
Exact details on options for the Regina Road estate will be developed in due course, weighing up resident feedback alongside considerations such as cost and meeting evolving building regulations.
The council will ensure every resident moved or decanted from their homes during possible refurbishment or redevelopment work will be guaranteed to return to the estate if they wish to.
If approved at Cabinet, formal community consultation will take place in the coming weeks, with a firm decision on the future of the estate expected by spring 2023. The council is committed to closely involving residents throughout this period and beyond as it delivers any final option.
Jason Perry, Executive Mayor of Croydon, said: “When I became Mayor I pledged to sort out the unacceptable conditions in our council homes and to listen to residents, working with them to put things right. This is an important step towards achieving this.
“Years of underinvestment in Regina Road means residents have faced unacceptable disrepair and housing conditions, with a council service that fell below the standards it should be providing to tenants.
“As I said on my first visit to Regina Road, it will take some time to make significant and lasting change for tenants. This is why our focus must now turn to the longer term – ensuring we treat our tenants with respect in every interaction they have with the council and bringing our housing stock up to standard now and for generations to come.
“I look forward to continuing to work with tenants and leaseholders as together we determine the future of their estate and their homes.”
