Scovell Estate repairs near completion after weeks without heating in Borough
Southwark Council expects the last 42 homes to be reconnected by the end of 14 October and will set out compensation once the work is complete.
Croydon council tenants who downsize could get new kitchens and bathrooms
A pilot that still needs formal approval would replace an offer of up to £8,000. Only 13 tenants agreed to move under that offer last year.
Key facts
- Croydon hopes to start the downsizing pilot at the end of October, subject to formal approval
- Tenants who move would get a home in their preferred area with a new kitchen and bathroom and full redecoration
- The pilot would replace a payment of up to £8,000; 13 tenants agreed to move last year
- More than 8,500 households in Croydon are waiting for suitable housing
Croydon council tenants with more bedrooms than they use could get a new kitchen and bathroom fitted if they agree to move to a smaller property. The new home would also be fully redecorated. The council hopes to start the pilot scheme at the end of October.
The aim is to free up family-sized homes. More than 8,500 households in the borough are waiting for a suitable home. Over 1,000 council properties are classed as under-occupied, which is about 8.5% of Croydon’s housing stock.
How the Croydon downsizing scheme would work
Under the proposals, a tenant who gives up a larger home would be offered a property in the area of their choice, with the upgrades already done. Dedicated officers would support them through the move.
The pilot still needs formal approval. The Housing Assurance Board is due to consider it on Monday.
The scheme would replace the current incentive for tenants with spare bedrooms: a payment of up to £8,000, plus help with removals and with the cost of disconnecting utilities. Few have taken up that offer. Last year 13 tenants agreed to move, and seven have moved in 2026.
When the council consulted tenants, money turned out not to be the deciding factor. People cared more about staying near their community, moving into a good-quality home and getting help with the move itself.
Overcrowding and empty council homes in Croydon
The council says more than 2,100 of its current tenants are in “severe overcrowding” while they wait for a home with three or four bedrooms. Homes of that size are rare. Croydon manages 13,360 council homes. Only 2.37% of them have four bedrooms and 0.24% have five.
No cost has been given for the pilot. The council says its funding will be assessed as part of the wider Housing Improvement Plan.
Last month 417 council homes in Croydon were standing empty and waiting for repairs. In the first quarter of 2026/27 it took an average of 206 days to re-let an empty property, compared with 130 days across 2024/25.
Two further ideas for the borough’s bigger homes are on the table. Larger properties could be let on tenancies that run for a fixed five years. Separately, “de-conversion” schemes would create bigger family homes out of smaller properties.
Key questions
When does the Croydon downsizing pilot start?
The council hopes to begin it at the end of October. It still needs formal approval, and the Housing Assurance Board is due to consider it on Monday.
What would Croydon tenants get for downsizing?
A home in the area they prefer, with upgrades such as a new kitchen and bathroom and redecoration. Dedicated officers would also help them with the move.
What happens to the £8,000 payment?
Under the plans, the pilot would take the place of the cash offer of up to £8,000 for tenants with spare bedrooms. That offer also included help with removals and with disconnecting utilities.
Gipsy Hill tenant and her nephew in hospital after council house ceiling gives way again
Venesha Rose says repairs to her Lambeth Council home failed to fix the cause, and she has been raising leaks with the council since 2024.
Ombudsman again criticises HMP Wandsworth over emergency codes after 2021 death
No control room record shows when a code blue was called after Aktar Uddin was found unresponsive in his cell on Christmas Day 2021.
Hammersmith and Fulham weighs council tax rises of up to 150% to fill £160m gap
Under the largest option, a Band D bill would reach £2,522.50 a year before the GLA precept. The council leader says protecting services comes first.