"Estate Regeneration and
Community Impacts: Challenges and lessons for social landlords,
developers and local councils", A. Belotti, LSE Housing & Communities (2016).
Large scale demolition of council estates with residents in situ is a lengthy, complex and often
controversial process. This report draws on evidence from two case studies to show the
unintended negative consequences of large-scale demolition of council estates for tenants,
leaseholders and local businesses. A third case study is introduced to weigh the costs and
benefits of wholesale demolition against refurbishment. This paper analyses housing estates under ‘regeneration’ in London to:
Identify the challenges posed by self-funded redevelopment schemes;
Draw lessons for developers willing to take action on the problems likely to arise in the
redevelopment process including potentially negative outcomes for residents and
local shopkeepers;
Weigh the pros and cons of demolition vs. refurbishment.
The estates have been anonymised to make sure key informants’ identities are protected, and
to allow for contentious issues to be discussed openly and explicitly.
