FAMILIES are desperate to escape a damp-ridden Hanwell estate that has recently been approved for redevelopment.

Those who live on the estate, built from prefabricated concrete panels in the 1960s, say it suffers from mould, damp and chronic pipe blockages.

Some residents say the damp is affecting their health, and one even spoke of taking legal action against the council.

Plans to double the number of homes on Hanwell's High Lane Estate were approved by Ealing Council on July 21.

The estate will be demolished and rebuilt in phases.

Council tenant Shamso Katib said: "I like this area but it's got big problems with the windows, the walls, the windows leak – it's not healthy.

"I want it to happen soon.

"We live in two bedrooms, we have six children so we need a big house.

"Everybody filled in a form and we said we want to stay here."

A council resident of Tweed Court, a building at the eastern end of the estate, asked to remain anonymous but said he was considering legal action after five years of complaining about the same problems.

He explained: "Damp, mouldy conditions, everybody's got the same problems.

"When it rains it leaks through the walls.

"It's a medical problem for the kids."

Father-of-four Ali Alobahi, said he and his family were also housed at Tweed Court after being declared homeless.

He added: "It's in a bad condition – the plumbing, the structure, the damp.

"It's a health problem, and the plumbing is the biggest issue.

"We have to use buckets to wash clothes."

Ealing Council says the planned estate will double the number of homes to 550, with half for private sale and the rest to be social rented units for "those who want to stay in the community".

It says 142 homes will be for council tenants and 75 will be at London Affordable Rent, set by the Greater London Authority.

One resident, who gave her name as Grace, said: "We first found out about the redevelopment in 2012, we've been expecting everything to happen for years.

"I can't wait for it to happen.

"I've complained about the mould, I've had surveyors in but they just can't fix it."

"I want to get out of here as soon as possible, everything feels like it's crumbling from the inside."

Not all residents had complaints, Kim Lewis, who has lived on the estate for more than 30 years, said she didn't have mould problems and wanted to stay on the estate.

She added: "I love living there, have great neighbours, no trouble, big rooms in the flats.

"I'm disgusted and upset they are knocking it down to make money, because they are going to build property to sell and market value rent, about the same amount of social housing as there is now."

An Ealing Council spokesperson said: "The council is committed to genuinely affordable homes, and delivering a radical programme of social rent, council house buildings, and ensuring our tenants are empowered and have ownership of their communities.

"None of the homes being built for rent will be available on the open/private market.

"The homes at GLA (LAR) social rents are for tenants from the council waiting list and who 'bid' on properties via the choice-based letting system known as Locata.

"Those with the highest need will be allocated these homes.

"The remaining homes at council level social rent are designed to be for tenants who transfer from existing council homes on the estate."

"We are aware of issues around damp and condensation from our consultations, which underlines the importance of giving the estate's residents a modern, safe and comfortable home on the rebuilt estate if they want one – something we are delivering as part of the project.

"Some flats have been identified as having serious issues and where the costs to alleviate the problem are high, we have already been moving residents to alternative properties.

"Unfortunately, the age and state of some of the flats mean they are prone to condensation – further emphasising the need for this ambitious regeneration of the estate.

"In relation to timeframes, phase 1 deadline for moving residents out and commencing the demolition was (and still remains officially) September 2021.

"However, the COVID-19 pandemic has adversely affected our ability to re-house households – both during the various lockdowns when we have ceased any new letting; and also from the perspective of supply, as priority has had to be given to people who might otherwise have been homeless and vulnerable to the virus.

"We are likely, therefore, to have to extend VP for this phase to February 2022."