At least Scrooge had a change of heart in the end. In his letter lead councillor for regeneration in Greenwich Peter Brooks talks of a "generous relocation allowance" for Ferrier residents making way for gentrification of the area in the Kidbrooke Vision so-called "regeneration".

(Up to 6,000 homes, at least two thirds privately owned, may replace the 1,900 currently here.) As the elected representative of residents on the Ferrier Estate I claim the right to reply. In fact, compensation for loss of fittings is half the second hand value of carpets and curtains, to be replaced at full cost.

Furniture and units too big for mainly smaller homes offered as replacements are also having to be ditched and replaced by tenants. Redecoration allowances are pitifully low, people often having to spend around six times more to bring replacement homes up to the standards they saved hard to achieve on the Ferrier.

The homeowners will want to make their own case, but an example of "market value" is £90,000 for a four-bed house! There have been numerous complaints - in fact one (Tony Archer's case) made a big splash in the News Shopper.

As for 80 per cent approval of the scheme - the information put out with that survey suggested a dream of "new homes for old", with no mention of a decant that leaves many in this low-wage community worse off (in fact only 30 per cent replied).

Many probably feel like Aladdin, cheated out of his old lamp and given a useless new one. If Peter Brooks had accepted one of our many invitations to come to a Ferrier monthly public meeting, he would have heard those complaints himself.

Much of this could have been made easier if councillors had waited for new build before starting the "decant" of residents, but this has been steadfastly rejected, for reasons we can only guess at.

Nick Russell, chairman, Ferrier Residents' Action Group