Ledbury campaigners have also said new homes offered to tenants who wanted to leave the Peckham estate were ‘unaffordable’.
In April Southwark Labour announced it was giving first refusal on new homes in its Sylvan Grove development to displaced Ledbury Estate residents, and the new homes meant it had built 535 of its pledged 11,000 new council homes by 2043.
But the Ledbury Action Group said rent, service charge, and council tax rates were higher at Sylvan Grove than on the Ledbury, and as some homes are going to Ledbury leaseholders, they should not be counted towards council home targets.
Stephanie Cryan, Southwark Council’s cabinet member for housing, management and modernisation, (pictured), countered the claims at the time, saying: “The difference in rent between the Ledbury Estate and Sylvan Grove is less than £15 per week for a one bed property, and Ledbury Estate residents have the option to bid not just for these new properties, but for council properties across the borough, which are let at a range of prices.
“If any Ledbury Estate residents would like to move to Sylvan Grove but are concerned about not being able to afford council tax, we urge them to get in touch with the council, as they may well be eligible for council tax reduction
scheme.”
She also described allegations otherwise as “wrong and disingenuous”, saying: “The Ledbury Action Group should be working with us to get the best outcome for residents, not putting residents off from applying for newly built, top quality council housing offered to them.”