Elderly residents of one Hampshire housing estate have the champagne on ice after the housing association which had threatened to demolish their houses unveiled plans to fully refurbish them instead.

Last June, tenants living on the Velmore Estate in Chandler's Ford were celebrating after Atlantic Housing withdrew plans to demolish 61 bungalows and replace them with a mixture of flats and new houses.

Many of the residents, some of whom are in their 90s, had spoken out against their landlords. They did not want to leave their homes.

In the face of public outcry and an independent report that labelled the association's handling of the situation as "faceless and uncaring", Atlantic backed down.

Residents still feared it was only a temporary stay of execution, and many moved away because of the stress caused by the uncertainty.

Now, the housing association has submitted plans to Eastleigh Borough Council to completely refurbish 18 of the bungalows in Somerset Crescent.

Atlantic says it has come up with the new plans after discussions with tenants showed the majority wanted to live in bungalows.

If approved, the work will see the homes modernised and extended to two bedrooms, benefit from improved access and extra off-road car parking.

For the residents, it is the confirmation they have been seeking that they will be able to stay in bungalows and not forced into flats.

"Everyone's a lot, lot happier about the situation now because we've got what we wanted. We're going to get a bungalow back," said Hazel Giles, 68, who lives in Cornwall Road.

"It has been going on for three years and there's a lot of elderly people up here who were very upset.

"We all said this was the last place we wanted to live because we're happy here.

"People don't want any more upheavals and not knowing what's going to happen, so it's a relief to everyone.

"Atlantic has treated it all so differently this time. They've spoken to us and come to explain things so we don't feel we're being pushed or shoved anywhere.

"We're just hoping and praying that these plans go through. If it does we're going to get together to drink champagne on the green."