Greenwich Ferrier Estate tenants 'unfairly evicted'

Residents in part of south London have said they are being unfairly evicted by their local council, which is redeveloping their housing estate.

Tenants on the Ferrier Estate have been sent letters by Greenwich Council threatening them with eviction but they say they have nowhere else to go.

Resident Yvonne Harris said she was "scared" by the letter.

The council said it risked losing £21m in grants if it did not begin work on that part of the estate by March 2011.

A Notice of Seeking Possession (NOSP) was sent from the council to 78 council tenants.

The council said 14 of the households had already been rehoused, and a further 15 had indicated they would take up newly built homes on the estate.

Tenants 'reassured'

Greenwich Council has been emptying and demolishing the estate since 2004, as part of a plan to create 4,000 new homes.

But many of those tenants affected say they still have no suitable alternative accommodation.

Eviction notices were sent from the council to 78 Ferrier Estate residents

Ms Harris told the council: "You haven't offered me anything and I haven't turned anything down."

"Why are you taking me to court?" she added.

A Greenwich Council spokesman said: "We risk losing £21m in government grants towards the extra-care elderly persons' scheme if we do not start on site by March 2011.

"We wish to reassure tenants that we are doing all we can to find them suitable alternative accommodation in good time."

The Tenants Services Authority, which regulates affordable housing, said it would investigate the eviction.