Thamesmead: Residents hold sit-in to save Lesnes Estate from demolition

An empty property has been occupied for six days by a group of pensioners trying to stop their homes being knocked down for a new development.

Bexley Council gave outline planning permission to the Peabody housing association in October 2022 to replace 816 current homes with 2,778 new ones.

But people living on the Lesnes Estate in Thamesmead have refused to leave.

A Peabody spokesperson said regeneration "is the best option" for the estate.

Dolorosa Buhari, 69, who has lived in a home she owns on the estate since 2003, joined other protesters on 6 April to occupy the empty house.

"It's disheartening that we are all facing this at this time," she said.

"Most of us here are retired and we have worked our lives to pay and to say 'this is our home', and then Peabody come in to tell us we cannot live here and they want to take our property, offering peanuts.

"The money they are offering cannot even get you a one-bedroom flat anywhere in London… I don't think even Peabody's forklifts will lift me away from here."

She added: "Now that the Elizabeth line is here, Peabody wants to make money out of it and think they should take us away. They are not going to."

Fellow protester Maria Ivanova, 72, bought her home on the Lesnes Estate in 2007. She said the stress of being told to sell her home had led to health problems.

"They are interested in the land to build this big block of flats but they are not interested in people who live here at the moment," she said.

"When we found out that they would like to demolish our houses to have this new project, it was quite stressful because all my life I wanted to have my own house.

"In 2007, we managed to get this mortgage, which we finished this year. When they said that they're going to demolish our houses and pay peanuts to us, it means that they will leave us homeless.

"I will not be able, at the age of 72, to be able to buy another house with the money that they suggest that we can have."

The resident group has pledged to stay in the house until a conversation is opened between them and Peabody's executive director, John Lewis, to discuss refurbishing empty homes on the estate instead of demolishing them.

A spokesperson for Peabody said:"Regeneration, which is supported by and was voted for by the majority of residents, is the best option.

"It will provide high-quality new homes that London desperately needs, replacing 816 old homes with 2,778 new ones.

"We understand that moving home can be a challenging time and we're supporting residents through this.

"We're giving every resident the opportunity to move into a new home on the estate.

"Those in social rented homes will continue to pay social rent, and resident homeowners are being offered a new home without the need to take on an additional mortgage."

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