HASLEMERE town councillors met to hear the latest news on the regeneration scheme at the Kiln Fields estate, Haslemere.

Plans to rebuild the estate have been in the pipeline for more than two years, but in a letter to the town councillor, Waverley's director of housing, David January, said that construction work is expected to begin this autumn.

At last week's meeting of Haslemere's planning and highways committee, councillors agreed that they would like Mr January to make a presentation to them about how the scheme is progressing.

Waverley decided that improvements were necessary at the estate when they discovered asbestos and major structural defects two years ago.

Since then it has been holding regular consultations with the residents and working on plans that will meet the community's needs.

In a recent letter to the town council, Mr January said: "At this stage no firm decisions have been made on the finalised layout or indeed what the buildings will look like.

" A formal planning application will need to be made in due course and all the normal protocols observed."

It is proposed that the regeneration project will include the demolition of the houses with faults or asbestos, and the construction of 78 new properties, 36 of which will replace the existing council owned properties and 20 will be owned by a partner housing association.

A new pavilion will be built on the recreation ground and there are also proposals for trees around the recreation ground perimeter.

But at last week's meeting, Ted Orchard said he had "strong reservations" about planting trees all the way around the recreation ground.

He said that the trees would lead to an increase in the leaf fall on to the road and pavements, would restrict resident's views on to the ground, and may possibly create problems with drug use.

After the meeting Mr Orchard told The Herald: "I noticed several discarded syringes near the pavilion when I visited the estate last summer. I have not been there in the past few months but I believe that summer is the time when the problem is at its worst."

Consultation about the scheme with residents will continue, and a visit has been arranged to Basingstoke where they will be able to see housing put up by the project's architects, the Lovell Partnerships.

All members of the council will be invited to Mr January's presentation, the date of which has still to be confirmed.