Council tenants on Achilles Street in New Cross have been waiting two years to find out if their homes and businesses will be demolished, and are still in “a position of uncertainty.”

Lewisham Council has presented three options for the area to residents and businesses. This includes “comprehensive redevelopment” of the area – which would mean knocking down existing council homes and buildings.

Other options include “do nothing” and “infill underused spaces” to create 22 new homes.

But Achilles Street spokeswoman Jacqui Utley said demolition of the 87 homes and 15 businesses seemed like the  most likely option.

“Lewisham Council aren’t considering anything other than demolition, so we are campaigning for a genuine choice.”

She said the council had not been in contact for nearly a year, which meant residents were “lulled into thinking it wasn’t happening.”

“We found out two years ago that we were under threat of demolition,” she said.

“Since then we have been campaigning. We have had four consultations to date, and it has gone quiet now for just under a year. They keep promising more information.

“We have been asking for information since before Christmas. They are keeping residents and businesses in uncertainty,” she said.

She said the council had given tenants “sound bites” of information, including guarantees rent levels would stay the same, but residents were worried.

“People I have spoken to, it is always at the back of people’s minds. Everybody is so busy, trying to earn money. There are a lot of older people as well, people who have lived here since it was built and it is unsettling,” she added.

“They have given no details, just sound bites of information which are basically meaningless; they don’t say anything.”

Ms Utley said the council had “managed the decline” of the area, after a freedom of information request submitted by the group showed the council had spent £238,899 on repairs and maintenance in six years.

Rents and service charges had brought an income of £2,601,009 to the council during the same period.

A Lewisham Council spokesperson said "no final decision have been made.”

"The current proposals were developed following extensive consultation with residents on the estate, and we have made a commitment that all existing council tenants and leaseholders will be provided with new homes if the redevelopment goes ahead. No final decisions have yet been taken about building new council homes in Achilles Street and we will continue to listen to residents over the coming months,” they said.