AN ANGRY tenant says bailiffs and bulldozers will have to “physically remove” him from his home after fellow residents on a controversial prefab estate voted for the properties to be demolished and redeveloped.

People from Catford’s Excalibur estate were divided over whether there should be a regeneration of the 187 properties, built by German PoWs in the 1940s.

A ballot was held asking residents what they wanted to happen to the estate.

More than 56 per cent (114 votes) were in favour of the estate's regeneration while 89 people were against the proposals and 21 did not vote at all.

Kay Sim, who has lived in Mordred Road for 23 years, said: “It’s brilliant. I’m very happy. At last people get decent homes to live in.

“We can’t live here any longer. They are falling down. My daughter lives in Ector Road and the walls are rotten.”

The 64-year-old added: “They were good in their day. But I get ice on the inside of my bedroom window during the winter.”

Homes are now likely to be demolished and redeveloped as part of a transfer from Lewisham Council to London and Quadrant housing association.

The site will be brought up to Decent Homes Standard - a government benchmark for the quality of housing.

The Worried Tenants Group was set up four years ago to fight the demolition.

Group member Jim Blackender, who lives in Pelinore Road, said: “We are quite disappointed at the vote especially when it was the residents voting for the destruction of the site.

He added: “On the other hand they have been bullied in to voting yes.

“We were told by Lewisham Council the estate would fall further in to disrepair if we voted no and empty properties would remain empty so it’s no wonder people voted yes.”

The 57-year-old has lived in his two bedroom detached prefab for 22 years.

He said: ”They will have to physically remove me. I’m not going anywhere.

“They will have to use bailiffs and bulldozers to get me to go. I’m going to stay until the last possible second.”

Mr Blackender still hopes the government will make the estate a conservation area.

He said: “We have a great community. What they are offering us in exchange for our home doesn’t really cut it for what we have already got.

“We also respect the historic value of the houses and we don’t think they should be demolished.”

Six prefab homes on Persant Road will not be demolished after being given Grade II status by the Government’s Department for Culture Media and Sport.

Grade II listings are viewed to be of special interest, warranting every effort to preserve them.

Cabinet member for customer services, Councillor Susan Wise, said: “This is a positive and welcome outcome for all those residents who want modern, new homes on their estate.”

Lewisham Council and L&Q will now continue to discuss funding with the Homes and Communities Agency, a national agency which funds affordable housing.

L&Q will also need to submit planning permission for the redevelopment of the estate.

A Lewisham Council spokeswoman said: “The council has been clear and honest with residents from the outset; these prefabs have more than lived up to their original purpose, but they are cold and damp in winter and it simply is not financially viable to refurbish the whole estate.

“We appreciate people hold different views, which is why the Mayor Sir Steve Bullock, agreed to hold a ballot of all residents so they could express their views on the future of the Excalibur estate.”