Gerry McWilliams, the chairman of the Ferrier Freeholders' and Leaseholders' Advisory Group, has criticised the council for its complete incompetence' in its handling of the project GC11123
A council blunder could delay work on a multi-million pound regeneration project for up to a year, it has been claimed.
Officers at Greenwich Council did not show clearly enough on a map which areas of land in and around the Ferrier Estate in Kidbrooke it wants to compulsory purchase.
The Government has refused to authorise the Kidbrooke Development Area Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) because it says it is "technically flawed".
Gerry McWilliams, the chairman of the Ferrier Freeholders' and Leaseholders' Advisory Group, criticised the council for its "complete incompetence".
Mr McWilliams said it could mean an extra six months to a year of uncertainty for residents on the estate.
Leader of the opposition Conservative party Councillor Spencer Drury said: "It's an example of serial incompetence by the council."
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The estate is to be demolished as part of a £750m housing redevelopment, including a shopping centre situated around a new transport network.
Mr McWilliams said: "It was impossible looking at the plans to identify which properties were supposed to be included and which were not.
"The whole thing is behind schedule. It's just a shambles. Normally some heads would roll but I don't suppose anything will happen in Greenwich."
He added: "It will be a minimum of three months for the council to be in a position to submit it to the Government for approval.
"Depending on how many objections there might be, they will decide whether a public inquiry would be necessary.
"Had they filled in the original one properly, the number of objections which were made necessitated a public inquiry, which would probably have taken place in about 18 months.
"Now it could be 24 to 30 months."
However, a Greenwich Council spokesman says it would not take as long as this.
She said: "The letter from the Government Office for London on the CPO relates to a minor technical matter which will be swiftly resolved."
The spokesman added the project is still on target for planning applications to be submitted in the summer and the first new housing to be completed in two years.
Greenwich began rehousing its tenants as part of a phased process in 2004, and nearly 700 households have now been relocated.
But homeowners say what they are being offered for their properties is not enough to buy something comparable elsewhere.
Because of this, the council has had to apply for a CPO, which covers 108 properties, including leaseholders, homeowners and businesses.
However, the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government could not confirm the order.
A letter from the department says: "This lack of consistency between the order map and certain plot descriptions means it is not possible for the Secretary of State to precisely identify the land which the order seeks to acquire."
It says as a result, the case for the order has not been considered.
Mr McWilliams said residents were originally told the demolition would begin in 2005.
Tony Bird, an independent housing consultant, who has been working with residents, said: "I don't think you will have the first new homes until 2012."
Around 1,000 homes on the estate are still occupied.
The council says Ferrier residents were given priority for the new housing.
A consultation revealed 80 per cent of them supported the proposals for the Kidbrooke redevelopment.
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