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Residents who campaigned against the full redevelopment of a council estate have learnt that it will be partially rebuilt with 134 new homes.

Cambridge City Council voted to knock down the majority of the council homes on the city’s Ekin Road, near the cemetery and airport, in June 2024.

A planning application has been submitted. The council had already agreed to retain 14 of the 122 existing houses.

Maurice Chiodo, whose home is not among those being demolished, said: “We are very happy that we are still here. We have had 18 months of calm after over two years of basically battle.”

Chiodo ran the Save Ekin Road Campaign Group and was told his home would be saved last year.

“We couldn’t laugh two years ago… we weren’t in a position to do that. It was still so raw, so traumatic,” he said.

The council had originally planned to demolish all 122 homes on the estate, which date from the 1950s and 1960s.

However, it confirmed it would adapt its approach and retain 14 of the existing houses.

It said the project was part of the Cambridge Investment Partnership (CIP) programme — between the council and the Hill Group — and would deliver 78 allocated council houses and 56 private homes.

The proposal offers a mix of homes with one to five bedrooms, including the first five-bedroom houses delivered through CIP.

Gerri Bird, cabinet member for housing and CIP board member, said: “Doing nothing was not an option at Ekin Road because of the serious issues in the buildings, meaning our tenants were living in accommodation that didn’t meet our standards.

“We’ve worked closely with existing residents who have had to move out of the estate in order for the new homes to be built.

“This is obviously a major upheaval in people’s lives, but we really do everything we can to help them consider their rehousing options.”

The new area would feature play equipment and seating areas, which the council said was highlighted by residents as an important aspect of the project.

It said traffic-calming measures would also be introduced to reduce vehicle speeds and prioritise pedestrians at key junctions and crossings.

Chiodo said residents had written a letter to the council asking when and how construction work would take place.