SURROUNDED by litter and vermin on a decaying council estate, residents have lost hope for the regeneration which has been promised for nearly 30 years
A walk around the notorious Aylesbury Estate in South London reveals a vast urban housing development ravaged by years of broken promises and blighted by squatters and .
The notorious Aylesbury Estate in Walworth, South London Credit: Doug Seeburg
More than half of the flats are due for demolition and have been boarded up for years Credit: Doug Seeburg
Hopeless residents say they have no idea when the work might go ahead Credit: Doug Seeburg
Locals told The Sun that they dare not venture out after dark, and how one side of the estate is still blighted by criminal gangs and drug dealers.
And a 2025 council estimate said of the homes that exist on the site, nearly 1,000 units are unoccupied, with 600 vacant for more than two years and 48 deemed as “squatted”.
Council bosses say they are still working to try and redevelop the area and tackle anti-social behaviour.
Aylesbury Estate was at the centrepice of Tony Blair’s inaugural speech in which he vowed to reach out to the UK’s “forgotten people” – but three decades on, locals feel not much has changed.
The demolition and redevelopment of the estate was decided in 2004, but majority of the work has still not been carried out.
Southwark Council has now changed its deal with developers Notting Hill Genesis, appointed in 2014, citing resident concerns that “progress has been too slow”.
Sandra, 70, has lived on the estate for more than 10 years.
She wants to see the work go ahead due to , but doubted whether it would ever be completed.
“It is a good idea to tear them down because the buildings are in a state and they are falling apart,” she told The Sun.
“But how long will it take? Where are they going to get the from?”
Disillusioned residents said they were desperate for something to be done to improve the decaying buildings, but since the development partnership collapsed they have no idea when life might improve.
One mother, walking out of her flat with her two young sons, said the post-war estate is “scary”.
She added that the large number of empty units in Aylesbury meant there had been an squatting crisis with people illegally living in buildings supposedly due for demolition.
“We have had squatters by us,” she said. “There were people illegally living in the estate.”
Kelly Hopkins and her dog Buddy in the park – though they cannot go there after dark Credit: Doug Seeburg
The estate is largely empty but still ridden with crime including drugs and squatters Credit: Doug Seeburg
Kelly Hopkins, 62, told The Sun the amounts of squatters are causing major problems on the estate – and she said even when they report crime to cops, it feels like nothing is done.
She said: “There are lots of problems with squatters here.
“I had a friend who was literally the last one left living on the top floor of one of the tower blocks when everyone else moved out.”
A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said: “Local Met officers continue to work closely with Southwark Council and other partners as regeneration progresses on the Aylesbury Estate.
“We recognise the concerns residents have raised around anti‑social behaviour and issues linked to vacant blocks, and we have supported the council’s work to manage and reduce this.”
They said the force had increased the number of officers into neighbourhood teams and they continue to monitor the estate.
The council added it has set up the Aylesbury Taskforce to tackle anti-social behaviour and issues including squatting – closing 86 squats since May 2025.
Kelly, who has lived by the estate her whole life, told The Sun gangs of men gather in the neighbouring park at night causing trouble.
She said she will not walk her dog Buddy there after dark anymore as the grassy fields have become a no-go area.
“It’s a lot of drugs round here. Surrey Square Park is where they all hang out, especially in the dark at night. This is where it all goes on.
“In the morning there are canisters of laughing gas strewn everywhere. I don’t go out at night. I don’t come out after 7pm.
“Sometimes there’s a whole gang of around 30 of them sitting on the benches drinking and blasting music.”
The mother who had squatters next to her flat added that her side of the estate felt safe, but “the other area-they have gangs and drug dealers”.
Some parts of the estate remain open, with residents still stuck living in its crumbling walls.
The corridors are strewn with litter and fly-tipped rubbish Credit: Doug Seeburg
Sandra, 70, says she is not confident the new development will ever materialise Credit: Doug Seeburg
The corridors are littered with rubbish bags, rat poison and abandoned shopping trollies.
Joan, 96, said she hated walking through the streets with her walking frame and shopping bags.
“It’s a tip. There’s stuff on the floor everywhere. It’s disgusting. The place is running alive with rats. I don’t know why they don’t do anything,” she despaired.
Yvonne, 61, has worked in the area as a social worker for the past eight years.
She blamed government funding cuts for the housing and crime problems which blight the estate.
She told The Sun: “Regarding housing, there have just been so many cuts, and you can tell that affects the people that live here.”
Working on the front line of the social and mental health crisis felt by some residents, she added: “I’ve heard about problems with vermin, bedbugs and even asbestos.”
The condition of the estate is so bad that a major leak a few months ago meant several health clinics had to be moved.
Taplow Pharmacy, one of the few amenities left in the old buildings, had water pour through its ceiling.
Now, its shelves are mostly emptied out, with and products removed from the shelves to avoid the water which broke through the ceiling panels.
Social worker Yvonne, 61, says funding cuts have hit the area hard Credit: Doug Seeburg
The Tapworth Pharmacy had holes in the ceiling after a bad leak last month Credit: Doug Seeburg
A Notting Hill Genesis spokesperson said: “Since 2014, we’ve met all our commitments to deliver new homes at each phase of the programme. So far we have built over 700 homes on the estate, 581 of which the council has brought into use as council homes.
“A further 321 homes will be completed next summer, and beyond that we will deliver a further 640 new homes in the next phase of the development.
“There have been challenges beyond our control that have slowed progress, including the Covid-19 pandemic, a judicial review at the High Court and evolving building safety guidance, but our commitment to providing the high-quality homes so needed in the area remains unchanged.”
They said it was hoping to deliver hundreds more homes on the estate in the next phase of the project, half of which would be affordable housing.
The Met Police said: “We urge anyone with information or concerns to contact their local police team, via 101 or the Metropolitan Police Service website.”
A spokesperson for Southwark Council said: “The Aylesbury Estate is at the heart of our borough, and we’re determined to build the community that residents and future generations deserve.
“This is one of the most complex regeneration schemes anywhere and in partnership with Notting Hill Genesis, we’ve delivered 581 new council homes and fantastic new spaces like the Una Marson Library and Harold Moody Health Centre, and open spaces to be enjoyed by generations of Aylesbury residents.
“But we also know many residents have raised concerns that progress has been too slow and this has caused serious problems including anti-social behaviour in and around the vacant blocks on the estate.”
They added the council was “strongly committed” to working with residents, and would review condition surveys across the estate.
Residents have been left living in poor conditions on the estate, waiting for demolition to come Credit: Doug Seeburg
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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