Wandsworth Council's Conservative administration has declined to commit to the Alton Estate regeneration masterplan, which would deliver more than half of new homes as affordable, leaving residents awaiting clarity on the future of the 1950s estate nearly 14 years after the project was agreed in principle.
At a council meeting on Wednesday, October 21, Conservative councillors said the design of the masterplan, which was supported by 82 per cent of more than 1,400 residents who responded to a ballot last October, remains under review. The administration stated it remains committed to regenerating the estate but did not confirm it would proceed with the plan drawn up by the previous Labour leadership.
Labour urges commitment to masterplan
Labour councillor Matthew Tiller urged the administration to go ahead with the masterplan, noting that Putney MP Fleur Anderson's petition making the same demand had gained more than 1,000 signatures. Councillor Tiller read out a statement from estate resident Charles, who said: "We had real hope that this promised renewal was soon to become a reality, guided by input from a diverse group of residents from the estate. Please do not let this long-overdue renewal get shoved to the sidelines again."
Ms Anderson previously said the Conservatives, who campaigned against the masterplan while in opposition, had threatened to "scale back or stop the plan". The council originally submitted plans to demolish 288 homes on the estate for 1,108 new homes in 2019, while under Tory control. That scheme included 261 affordable homes, or 24 per cent, and was approved in January 2022.
History of the Alton Estate regeneration
The scheme was pulled before building had begun when Labour took control of the council for the first time in 44 years in May 2022, citing its lack of affordable housing. The Labour administration redesigned the masterplan to prioritise affordable housing, ultimately proposing the demolition of 177 homes for up to 650 new homes, including more than 40 per cent council housing and 57 per cent affordable housing.
Labour fast-tracked and approved plans to build a new block of 55 council homes at the entrance to the estate, along with a new community hub, so this could go ahead without needing to wait for the entire masterplan to win approval. However, the council had not yet submitted its planning application for the overall masterplan when the local elections arrived in May, which saw Labour lose control of the authority.
Funding gaps and future plans
The council is now led by a Conservative minority, which fell one seat short of the 30 needed to secure a majority. While the Conservatives are moving ahead with the fast-tracked housing and community hub plans, which are due to be completed next month, administration councillors did not detail their plans for the remaining regeneration at Wednesday's meeting.
Plans for a new building housing the family hub and nursery, known as Portswood Place, have already lost funding under the new administration, which agreed to pull £9.5m from the proposals on October 12. Councillor Tiller said the authority's plan to instead move these services into the community hub was not practical.
He said: "We know that the Conservatives and Labour do not view the council’s financial situation in the same way, but the Alton renewal should transcend such divisions because of the urgency of providing new shops, new services and most importantly new council homes and the record-breaking endorsement of the plans." He added: "It’s imperative that the Alton renewal plans go ahead as balloted on, with GLA funding, without delays and without backsliding into some scheme that benefits only people outside the estate rather than those within it."
Conservative councillor Matthew Corner, cabinet member for housing, said the administration was "committed to supporting regeneration" of the estate, but it was working with limited resources. Councillor Corner said the masterplan relied on £120m of council borrowing and still had a funding gap of £47m, while the authority had only got 40 per cent of what it asked for from the latest round of grants from the Greater London Authority (GLA).
He said: "Designs do remain under review as we engage with stakeholders. Regeneration is a complex endeavour, but residents will have the chance to share their views before those designs are finished." Councillor Corner said the authority was surveying the condition of all of its housing stock to understand where investment was needed, looking to secure more GLA grant funding and working with developers on investment opportunities in the borough. He added: "It is only right that officers continue to review all elements of the scheme in this context, and the broader priorities for investment I have set up."
