Residents on a South London estate are still plagued by rodent infestations, leaks and delayed repairs a year after shocking conditions in the block were exposed.

The Eastfields Estate is one of three across Merton that is due to be knocked down and regenerated.

In 2010 Merton Council transferred all of its housing stock to what is now Clarion Housing Group.

Those living on the 46- home Eastfields Estate say Clarion only started to improve conditions after shocking stories of the conditions were exposed in June 2021.

But this week, residents told the Local Democracy Reporting Service the state of their homes still leaves a lot to be desired.

Albert Dequo, who has just returned to the estate from university, lives in a flat with his mum and two siblings.

The 23-year-old said: “I think Clarion are terrible, they only act when their necks are on the line.

"I don’t think anything would have changed if that story hadn’t been published.

"We’ve been asking for years for change and they kept on moving it back.”

He said while Clarion has done some works there are still mice in the block which haven’t been handled. 

Other residents say a leak pouring outside from first floor overflow pipes has been a problem for the past four years.

Rodents are a problem for Charlotte Bingham too, who said more than 150 mice have been caught in her flat in the past year and a half.

She said: “They have come and put bait boxes and say they need to take the kitchen out and fill the gaps but they haven’t done it yet.

"It is my biggest fear so I don’t really go in the kitchen.”

The 30-year-old said at one point the hot water and heating went off in the flat for nine months due to a leak.

During this time she would have to go over to her mum’s house for a hot shower.

She said: “At first [Clarion] was around more but then they stopped, I think it changed at first but it didn’t last.

"They need to stop promising stuff and actually deliver.”

Chantelle Durrant, 36, has lived on the estate for 18 years.

She has holes cut into her ceiling, which she claims Clarion staff made when they were investigating issues with leaks six months ago.

They have yet to return to fix them.

She said: “I don’t feel respected at all, they’ve come and wrecked my home and not rectified it.

"I don’t really think they’ve changed the way they deal with tenants.

"The phone system for complaints hasn’t been working so you have to use a computer and I am not computer literate.”

But some, like Alina Fluras, 35, said improvements to the estate have been made in the last year.

She said: “They started fixing the roofs which is a good thing, they are still doing that.

"They have also come and moved cars that were parked here for a long time, I think they have tried to clean the area.”

Because the homes are set to be regenerated, along with those on the High Path and Ravensbury estates, they are allowed to remain below legal standards.

Merton Council and the social housing regulator allowed a waiver of the decent homes standard.

At a Merton Council meeting this week, cabinet member for housing Andrew Judge said: “We are seeking not the decent homes standards but a much higher standard in Eastfields and the other estates belonging to Clarion which are subject to regeneration.

“If we sought to reapply the decent homes standard we couldn’t continue with the regeneration and residents would be left in the hopeless system-built homes that were put up some time ago and are now frankly out of date and are failing residents.

“That doens’t take away from the fact that Clarion need to do what they can morally to actually maintain their properties to a good standard and it is clear that was not the case in the recent past.

“We want to encourage Clarion to press ahead with the regeneration so residents in Eastfields can have the decent future homes to modern standards with good recreation spaces.”

A spokesperson for Clarion Housing Group said it has invested £2.3 million in maintaining existing properties, including “major upgrades” to the roofs.

The first phase of regeneration work is set to begin in 2023 after planning permission was granted in April .

They added: “In the meantime we continue to invest in homes on the Eastfields Estate which includes major upgrades to the roofs across the estate, communal decorations, and kitchen and bathroom upgrades.

"The ongoing comprehensive roof works, will help to prevent future leaks and associated damp.

“Our dedicated staff have been able to increase the speed at which both communal and individual repairs are completed and since June 2021, we have completed 1,678 repairs at Eastfields.

"In addition, we have continued to deliver an enhanced pest control service, which gives all residents the ability to call our contractor directly to raise any issues and book an operative to investigate and carry out further treatments.”