Michael is one of the last residents still living at the Heygate Estate. The estate was completed in 1974 and is located in the London Borough of Southwark, south of Elephant and Castle. It has 1100 homes and a reputation for crime, poverty and deprivation.
It's been ten years since the council first announced that the Heygate estate was to be demolished as part of a regeneration/gentrification scheme. The plan is to build a major new town centre for south London, containing new commercial and leisure facilities, an updated transport interchange and 5,300 new homes. The demolition of the Heygate Estate is an essential part of this plan and re-housing Heygate residents into quality new homes in the local area is now a priority.
With most of the last few tenants already evicted from their homes, the majority of the last remaining residents – 35 households - on the Heygate estate are leaseholders. Michael and his family however own their house. He refuses to move out because he claims the council is undervaluing the price of his house. He says the amount the council deems it's worth, is not enough for a similar 3-bedroom apartment in central London. His family will either have to relocate far from the centre or apply for a mortgage to be able to afford a new house in the same area.
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