Kingston Council has unveiled its plans to raze and rebuild the Cambridge Road estate to create almost 2,000 homes.

Council officers presented three options for redevelopment to residents at the estate’s fun day last weekend, with the council having been handed £46.2m by former mayor Boris Johnson in April to create a housing zone.

Initial proposals showed the number of homes to more than double in size to 1,699 homes, but under the unveiled plans the estate could grow even larger.

Harry Hall, of the Cambridge Road Estate Residents’ Association, warned that vulnerable residents would need to be protected if the estate is demolished.

He said: “Now it’s a case of how the residents get themselves through this time and what could be an incredibly difficult future. It’s their home, it’s their memories.”

The first option is to regenerate the whole estate apart from the main four tower blocks, while the second option would see the whole estate rebuilt apart from the Madingley and Brinkley blocks.

The third option involves the demolition of the entire estate to build as 1,980 homes, which the council said would result in a ‘safer and more secure environment through a complete redesign’.

Council leader Kevin Davis has assured residents in the past that current tenants will be rehomed.

He said: “Kingston’s population is growing. We need to plan for that growth, make sure it’s right for our borough and also do what we can to provide homes for future generations.

“All three options are financially viable and would bring much-needed additional housing into the area.”

This newspaper revealed in April that the council had failed to build a single home in the borough over 10 years.

Mr Johnson said he hoped the introduction of housing zones would address ‘30 years of historic failure’ to build homes in the capital.

To comment on the proposals visit kingston.gov.uk