CIVIC chiefs are being urged to press on with plans to overhaul a Southampton estate due to the ever-increasing housing waiting list.

At the moment there is no firm timetable for overhauling Millbrook and Maybush, with the Conservative opposition voicing fears that it could be at least a decade until work starts.

Labour bosses insist it is their next priority after the regeneration project at Townhill Park, but community leaders have urged them to get a move on.

Consultation on a regeneration blueprint for 500 homes, shops, sports areas and road improvements was launched in September.

Since then groups made up of residents in Millbrook, Redbridge and Maybush have been formed to look at each area.

Labour council housing boss Warwick Payne said the groups will take 12 to 18 months to consider all of the areas.

He said: “The plans in 2014 there were some very good ideas and some I wasn’t very comfortable with, and consultation with the residents is part of that filtering.

“One of the things I wasn’t comfortable with was building large amounts of flats in Lulworth Green.

“Residents were not keen on that so we will be looking at building a smaller number of flats or none at all.”

Daily Echo:

An artist's impression of how the area around Millbrook Towers could look

His Conservative opponents, who say he has caused unnecessary delays to the Townhill Park project and improvements at other estates by changing the way they are funded, say work could have been done simultaneously on both estates if housing associations had been part of the plans as opposed to the council owning most of the stock and providing most of the funding.

They say they fear work will not actually begin on Millbrook for a decade.

Mo Simmons, the block representative for Millbrook Towers who is part of the stakeholder group, said: “Millbrook is one of the lost areas. A lot of people say that it’s an estate that’s forgotten about. I love living in Millbrook but there is a lot that could be done and it’s time they pulled their finger out and got on with it.

“There are a lot of young families here who are looking for somewhere to live – there’s not enough properties for people to live in.

“It would be beneficial for everybody if it was now rather than ten years down the line. I’m quite surprised it’s taken this long.”

Eugene McManus, pictured, from the Redbridge Residents’ Association, said: “I think there is a requirement for housing.

“My concern would be if they decide to take up green spaces for housing.

“I think Labour’s proposal is better for the long-term than having housing associations running most of the city, but I don’t think we can afford to wait five, ten years for this. The demand is there now.”