ALMOST 20 homeowners may soon be forced to leave an estate in Wokingham so 249 new homes can be built.

Wokingham Borough Council says it will demolish 178 run-down houses and bungalows at Gorse Ride South in Finchampstead and replace them with “high-quality and modern” homes, during the final phase of a £30 million regeneration.

According to the council, the prefabricated homes were only expected to last for around 40 years when they were built in the 1970s and it “is not economically viable” to try and repair them.

The council, which has planning permission for the project, owns the majority of the estate, but it does not own 19 homes on the site.

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It is now planning to use a legal power, known as a Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO), to buy those properties without the owners’ permission so it can clear the way for the development.

A council report states that using a CPO will have “human rights implications” but there is also “a compelling case in the public interest for the council to exercise compulsory purchase powers”.

The council also says it is still holding negotiations with most of those home owners and wants to buy those properties without using a CPO.

The report adds: “As part of the negotiation process the council is supporting homeowners with their relocation through a number of ways.

“This includes a payment of a home loss payment (10 per cent of the value of their home) plus disturbance payments which include refunding of removals service, legal fees, mortgage redemption fees and mail redirection.”

An interest-free loan scheme has also been set up, which allows people to borrow up to £150,000 so they can buy a new property.

The council’s Executive is expected to approve the use of a CPO when it meets on Thursday, January 28.

The council wants to begin demolishing homes on the site in March so construction can begin in the autumn. But it says the project could be delayed by up to 12 months if people object to the use of a CPO and a Public Inquiry is held.

The Conservative-run council has said that everyone living on the site has been offered the chance to move into one of the new homes and only six people formally objected to the redevelopment plans.

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Almost two thirds (185) of the new properties on the estate will be affordable.

At a council meeting in December, Simon Bowers, who has lived on the estate for 36 years, said “it’s time to move on.”

He added: “We need to take these houses down, move on and give people other opportunities for affordable housing.

“It’s so critical for us to do this, I can’t emphasise this enough.”