Southwark Council has agreed a £2.35 million contract to demolish Maydew House – bringing a decade-long saga to an end.
The council had previously wanted to refurbish the 26-storey Bermondsey block – spending £15 million on works and plans – only to scrap the project in February.
Residents were forced to move out from the 144-apartment building in 2015 so works could begin.
The refurbishment aimed to address damp, structural movements, cracks, asbestos and bad heating – and add five floors containing 24 flats.
Meanwhile, Abbeyfield Estate residents lived on what they described as a “building site” for nearly a decade.
But in February, having already invested heavily in the project, housing cabinet member Cllr Darren Merrill said rising construction costs meant the project would cost a total £69,644,677.
This was considered too big an increase on an estimate, made in 2019, of just over £42.1 million.
At the time, Cllr Merrill said the council had “done everything we can looking at saving or refurbishing this estate” but inflation meant it was “impossible”.
In a report, Southwark Council argued that money spent on refurbishment to date had not been wasted.
Completed works like a ‘soft strip’ of the building, demolition of the podium, and heating infrastructure diversion, were all necessary for demolition, it said.
Although no plans for new homes on the site post-demolition have been officially confirmed, new council housing is expected.
“The demolition of Maydew House is necessary to deliver new homes on the site,” a council report said.
Erith Contractors Ltd will carry out the demolition, scheduled to begin in April 2024 and last 55 weeks.