Regina Road Croydon redevelopment – Everything we know

Construction is expected to begin this month on the long-awaited redevelopment of Regina Road in South Norwood, almost five years after the estate became the centre of a national housing scandal.

The £103m project will see 191 ageing council homes demolished and replaced with up to 340 new properties, along with new green space, community facilities and improved public areas.

The estate, near Norwood Junction station, was built in the 1960s using a large panel system of concrete construction and includes three 11-storey tower blocks along with smaller low-rise buildings.

Regina Road became nationally known in March 2021 after an ITV News investigation by journalist Daniel Hewitt revealed severe damp, mould and flooding inside flats owned by Croydon Council.

Residents said they had complained for years about leaks, black mould and unsafe electrics, with some problems reportedly going unresolved for several years.

An independent report later found the council had failed to provide even basic housing services and said there was a poor culture within the housing department, with tenants not being treated with enough respect.

In May 2021, the Regulator of Social Housing found the council had breached national housing standards and placed its housing service under special measures, which remained in place until April 2025.

Following inspections and repair attempts, the council concluded the tower blocks were no longer fit for purpose and that demolition would be the most effective long-term solution.

Residents voted on the plans in a ballot held in spring 2023, with more than 80 per cent taking part and around 88 per cent supporting the demolition and rebuilding of the estate.

The redevelopment will take place in two phases and could deliver up to 340 homes in total, with at least 215 social rent homes planned in the first phase.

Plans also include a new community hub, a nursery, landscaped public space, play areas and improved walking and cycling routes through the estate.

More than half of the funding for the project has come from the Greater London Authority, with the rest expected to be covered partly through the sale of homes in a later phase.

Demolition work began in 2025 after residents were moved out of the worst-affected blocks, with the first tower block taken down as part of the clearance programme.

The council says tenants have been given priority for rehousing and will have the right to return to the new development once homes are completed.

Some properties on the estate are privately owned, and the council has warned it may need to use compulsory purchase powers if agreements cannot be reached with all owners.

Planning permission for the first phase of the redevelopment was granted in early 2026 after approval by the council’s planning committee and review by the Greater London Authority.

Lovell Partnerships has been appointed as the main contractor and is expected to begin construction work on the site this month.

The scheme will be built in phases and is expected to take several years to complete, with the first new homes likely to be delivered later in the decade.

Further detailed plans will still need to be approved for the second phase of the project, meaning the final layout and number of homes could still change before the redevelopment is finished.