1. Despite best intentions, replacement 'affordable' housing invariably ends up in a loss of social rented housing and/or higher rents.

2. Schemes are routinely delayed and subject to value engineering or landbanking by developers. Housing waiting lists are impacted and long-standing communities suffer uncertainty, disruption and displacement.

3. Structurally sound homes are needlessly demolished and replaced, creating significant uneccessary carbon emissions that further exacerbate climate change.

Despite their age and lack of investment, evidence shows that most estates actually provide a surplus when rental income is compared to maintenance costs. See here for some examples.

Despite best intentions, developers' profit margins and the viability testing loopholes mean that the cost of replacement social housing and demolition/rehousing ends up being subsidised mainly by local authorities, grant funding or by reducing the quantum and affordability of replacement social housing. See here and here for evidence of this.

There are a number of problems with the current ballot process. Not least the fact that refurbishment is never an option on the ballot paper. Read our full review of the flaws in the ballot process here.

There are plenty of large brownfield sites in London that have stood empty for decades, having been land-banked by developers. It would be more effective to bring these forward for development before knocking down existing housing.

Many estates earmarked for demolition are already high density. They tend to be selected not on their propensity to increase density but rather on architectural fashions (grey, concrete, 'monolithic' etc).

In general, redeveloped estates do provide more homes in total but they tend to be smaller (1 & 2 bed, rather than the family size homes they are often replacing). See the Aylesbury estate for example.

Studies have shown that in-fill development on estates can be more effective in increasing density than wholescale redevelopment. See the St Raphael's estate, the Alton estate and the West Ken and Gibbs estate for examples of these.