Residents of Alton Estate have voted in favour of a £100m regeneration scheme that will see 177 homes demolished and replaced with up to 650 new homes, Wandsworth Council announced today.
The ballot result showed 82.4% voting yes nand 17.6% voting no, with three invalid ballot papers. The turnout was 41.5% of the 3,395 eligible voters – meaning 1,409 residents cast ballots.
The result gives the council a mandate to proceed with plans that will demolish homes on Harbridge Avenue, Kingsclere Close, parts of Danebury Avenue, and Portswood Place, replacing them with new housing, a rebuilt shopping parade, new GP surgeries, improved community facilities, and green spaces.
The numbers
Of the 3,395 residents eligible to vote:
- 1,161 voted yes (34% of eligible voters)
- 248 voted no (7% of eligible voters)
- 1,986 did not vote (58.5% of eligible voters)
The ballot ran from 22 September to 16 October and was administered independently by Civica Election Services, following Greater London Authority rules for estate regeneration schemes.
Yesterday, the morning after the ballot closed, Putney.news spoke with residents on the estate to understand why turnout might be low. Among 20 residents interviewed, some hadn’t heard about the ballot, some reported not receiving ballot papers, some said language barriers prevented them understanding the materials, and others expressed the view that voting wouldn’t make a difference.
Council response
Aydin Dikerdem, Wandsworth Council’s Cabinet Member for Housing, said: “This is a momentous day for the Alton. For too many years this estate has suffered from lack of investment, but now we have a clear decision from the people who live here that they want real change and we’re committed to delivering that.
“I would like to thank everyone who voted in the ballot and made their voice heard – it was crucial that we asked you directly about the future of where you live so that we can work together to make this a better place for everyone.”
Local MP Fleur Anderson called it “fantastic news for our community” and said the yes vote was “a clear message that people want change.”
What residents said
The council highlighted supportive voices from the estate. Angus, a resident in Alton East, said he voted yes because “the long overdue proposals to improve the Alton much better reflect the needs of the residents.”
Mick, who has lived in Tangley Grove for over 50 years, said: “I voted yes because something needs to change.”
What happens next
The council will now move to finalise detailed plans for the redevelopment. The scheme will be phased to reduce disruption, with development taking an estimated ten years from start to finish.
Central to the proposals are family-sized homes prioritised for Alton residents experiencing overcrowding. The ballot result enables the council to access Greater London Authority grant funding, helping deliver the target of over 50% affordable housing.
Council tenants and leaseholders whose homes will be demolished will be offered new homes on the estate with financial help to move. The council has guaranteed that rents for current council tenants will continue to be set on the same basis as before.
The scheme also includes major repairs to some existing blocks not being demolished, including new windows and roofs for buildings on Danebury Avenue and Allbrook House.
Background
The ballot follows more than a year of improvements across the estate delivered as part of the Alton Renewal Plan, including opening the Roehampton Family Hub, installing resident-designed murals, expanding community bus services, and resurfacing roads and pavements.
Only residents meeting specific criteria could vote: secure tenants named on tenancy agreements, leaseholders or freeholders who’d lived at their address for at least a year, or people who’d been on the council housing waiting list for a year.
Civica Election Services will write directly to residents to formally confirm the ballot result.
Note: The stark difference between the Alton Estate’s 13,000 residents and 3,395 eligible voters resulted from Greater London Authority rules that govern all estate regeneration ballots. The 13,000 figure represents the estate’s total population (a number cited consistently for over a decade) but voting was restricted to residents aged 16+ who fell into three specific categories: social tenants named on tenancy agreements, resident leaseholders/freeholders who’d lived there at least one year, and those on the housing register for at least a year.
These strict criteria excluded most residents. Children under 16 couldn’t vote, eliminating thousands immediately. Adult household members not named on tenancy agreements, including partners, adult children, other residents, had no voting rights. Private tenants, temporary accommodation residents without housing register status, and non-resident property owners were all excluded. The rules, designed to prioritize those with secure tenure and guaranteed “right to return” if regeneration proceeds, meant only 26% of the estate’s population could vote on their community’s future.
