LONDON’S social housing has been reduced by 8,000 amid a gentrification drive which has seen council estates replaced with luxury housing, a London Assembly report revealed yesterday.

The London Assembly housing committee report prompted Green AM Darren Johnson to demand Mayor Boris Johnson invest in the renovation of council estates instead of bulldozing them.

His call came a day after south London housing campaigners dumped a pile of rubble outside of Southwark Council offices in protest at the demolition of the Aylesbury Estate.

AM Mr Johnson said: “Market homes play an important role in unlocking investment to plough into creating decent social homes, but the extent of the housing crisis means we need homes for all income groups, not just the well-heeled.

“The most popular regeneration schemes are those where councils and housing associations genuinely engage existing residents in decisions, rather than taking important decisions about people’s family homes from behind closed doors.”

According to the report the last 10 years have seen the loss of thousands of social rent homes.

Among them was the infamous Heygate Estate in Elephant and Castle, where the original recommendation for “partial demolition and refurbishment” was thrown out by Southwark authorities.

Now local residents fear that the neighbouring Aylesbury will meet the same fate.

Part of the estate was occupied a fortnight ago by members of the Fight for the Aylesbury campaign.

The group said yesterday: “The Aylesbury tenants are asking for the estate to be refurbished and repopulated, not demolished.

“So that is what we’re doing, one block at a time.”

Last week, Southwark Council workers came to the occupation protected by police officers and proceeded to smash the doors, windows and toilets of eight empty homes to prevent squatters from settling in.

The remaining rubble was taken by campaigners to the Tooley Street council offices and left by the front door.

Dozens of campaigners blocked the entrance to the building for over an hour shouting: “Shame on you, Southwark vandals.”

The London Assembly housing committee is now recommending that independent ballots are held in estates marked for regeneration.

These votes would have a final say on whether to renovate or demolish buildings.