Residents of a huge South London estate say it is declining after ‘false promises’ were made about its regeneration.
The future of the sprawling Winstanley and York Road Estate, in Battersea, remains unclear after developer Taylor Wimpey exited Wandsworth Council’s regeneration scheme last year.
The regeneration masterplan, dating back to 2012, pledged to transform the 1960s estate in phases by demolishing 759 homes for 2,550 new homes, including 35 per cent affordable housing, in 14 blocks up to 32 storeys tall.
The scheme promised to improve community facilities on the estate and provide a new park. It was approved in 2020.
By the council’s original estimates, hundreds of new homes and a leisure centre, with a swimming pool, sports hall and fitness suites, should have been completed by the end of this year, along with a replacement community centre, library and nursery. However, to date, only 265 homes have been finished.
The Labour-run council revealed in January it was partly reviewing the masterplan to see if it could deliver more affordable homes, after taking control of the authority from the Conservatives for the first time in 44 years in 2022. It confirmed Taylor Wimpey had exited the joint venture it set up in 2017 to carry out the project, but that the council was still committed to the regeneration.
Labour councillor Aydin Dikerdem, cabinet member for housing, told MyLondon: “The regeneration is now being run in-house by the council precisely so we can address the issues raised with us by residents in regards to speed of delivery. We inherited this scheme and are absolutely committed to delivering new council housing for those who were promised it and also those on our waiting lists.”
Residents told MyLondon they feel pushed aside by the council as they claimed the estate has not been maintained well, while they have no idea what to expect of the stalled regeneration. They say the area has been stripped to the point of there being nothing left for the community.
Elizabeth Swanson, 30, has been living at the top of 22-storey Sporle Court with her two daughters, one of whom has autism and ADHD, for around six years. “The only thing they’ve done is the lifts but that’s still it, and one’s being renovated so the other one’s consistently breaking down,” she told the LDRS. “It’s just like we’re all stuck in the same position.”
Elizabeth has been fighting to be moved for years as the flat is not medically suitable for her autistic daughter, she said, as it is too high up and their balcony is unsafe. They recently had to stay at a friend’s home in Tooting for a week because the remaining lift was out of service.
The mum said Sporle Court should have been among the first to be replaced under the regeneration due to its disrepair. She described it is a magnet for crime and anti-social behaviour which has been getting worse, she claimed, after improving for some time. She said she often sees violence and people taking drugs in the block’s communal areas, which are left littered with needles.
The mum said: “That block should have been the first block. It should have been because of how bad it is, because they said it was going to get knocked down. They gave us all false promises and then everywhere else is getting knocked down, but now that’s not getting knocked down.”
She said residents “don’t deserve to be pushed to the side” by the council. “They don’t care, they just shove us all in there,” she added. “They don’t actually really care what we do as long as they get their rent money, and other than that they don’t really care what we have to put up with.”
Julie Harris, 68, who has lived on the estate all her life, does not expect to see much progress with the regeneration anytime soon. She said: “They even took away a lovely playground in the park, and why? Now they’re digging holes over there, now they’re putting more wood up, and you’re like why? You haven’t done anything… leave it like it was.
“They keep stripping us back and not doing any progress, and I don’t believe the council will. Unless they find somebody that wants to work with them, it isn’t going to happen – we’re going to go another five, 10 years, and it will still be the same.”
Julie added: “It’s just another ongoing thing, it never happens. When you look along the river, the blocks go up like greased lightning. Over this side, nothing happens.”
April Cadore, 33, has been living in temporary accommodation on the estate with her 11-year-old autistic son since 2021. She feels she is being failed by the council, as she is on the third floor without a lift despite this being unsuitable for her and her son’s medical needs. She claimed her flat is plagued by black mould, like her neighbours, which resulted in her son being rushed to A&E in February. She raised concerns for her son’s mental health in the property as, she said, “he is never happy.”
April told the LDRS her son’s social worker is pushing for them to be moved, but she feels the council does not care about them or other residents. She added: “It is bad for other people that this is actually their home. In that sense, it’s nice being in temporary and knowing this isn’t my life but, at the same time, I’ve been here for longer than I thought I would be.”
Babs, 39, who did not wish to give his surname, knows the estate like the back of his hand and said it has declined due to lack of maintenance from the council. The estate has suffered from cuts to vital services since he grew up there, he said, including the closure of York Gardens playground in 2012 – where the community would come together.
Babs said: “You would think that they would invest in things. You lot have taken everything away from our community, we don’t have anything in the community… on our actual estate, we don’t have anything. All we do is sit in the park, we’ve just got the park.”
He added: “There’s times I walk around the estate I’ve got different, mixed emotions – some are good, some are bad. My childhood memory is finished. I walk with my children around here and I can’t show them anything.”
The dad said many residents have been pushed out of Battersea as it becomes more expensive. At the same time, those still living on the estate do not know what shape the regeneration will take – his mum, who has lived in the same flat since 1987, is now unsure whether her block will be demolished as she was originally told.
Babs said some residents have given up on complaining to the council as they do not see any changes, no matter what they say. “Nothing’s changed, why are people going to keep going on about something?” he said. “They’ll just get on with their life because it gets to a point, not that you don’t care, it gets to a point of why talk, you give up talking.”
The council will draw up a revised planning application for the regeneration masterplan if needed after the review, according to a report by officers, with the aim of submitting it at the end of 2026. The Greater London Authority (GLA) would then decide on the application in due course.
Wandsworth Council outlines upcoming work
A Wandsworth Council spokesperson said: “Wandsworth Council is fully committed to the regeneration of the Winstanley and York Road Estates, and improving the area for everyone who lives there. Since ending our joint venture with our former developer partner, the council has been focussed on the completion of Braund Mansions (formerly known as Block 5) where existing residents from the estate should be able to start moving in throughout the summer – allowing for work to progress on the next stage of the regeneration.
“Pennethorne House will be demolished in 2025, meaning that Block 6 will be able to start on this site delivering more new homes.
“Residents should continue to report any issues they find on the estate, or in their homes, as we take these incredibly seriously. There are dedicated teams for dealing with issues of damp and mould in council properties, maintenance and for issues related to anti-social behaviours.”
Regarding the developer’s exit from the scheme, James Lidgate, managing director for Taylor Wimpey London, previously said: “We recognise that a change in strategic direction of the project has meant that Wandsworth Council is best-placed to deliver the scheme alone moving forward, however we are proud of the work that we have carried out to date to deliver the Winstanley and York Road scheme in partnership with the council.
“This is a significant regeneration project and we look forward to seeing its completion and the benefits it brings to the borough.”
