Spelthorne's most prominent social housing landlord has admitted it "got off on the wrong foot" with promoting its plans to regenerate Stanwell.

A2 Housing Group plans to demolish and totally rebuild the large estate of prefab homes at Hollywell Way and Mulberry Avenue in Stanwell.

Development director, David Price, made the admission on Monday as part of the group's fresh attempt to inform people of the proposal.

The 180 British Iron and Steel Federation homes - known in the community as "the tin houses" - were constructed as temporary low rent housing after the war.

Laburnum Way resident Barry Mason said A2 has let the homes run down over the years.

Mr Mason said: "I have lived here since 1988 and worked at Heathrow for 35 years. I lost my wife 20 months ago. All I want to do is finish my time here. I retired to spend more time in the house. Then seven months in I got a thing saying they hoped to pull the house down. It's wrong."

Referring to a public meeting on July 22, where most residents' first glimpsed the project, Mr Price said: "We got off on the wrong foot. We didn't give people enough to chew on."

The number of homes will jump from 180 to 400 with the £80m regeneration scheme, so many residents believe the new homes would be smaller than their current ones - or that they will cost more.

That was not the case, replied A2. Residents who decide not to sell will move into new houses the same size as their current one and they will have a say in how their home is layed out .

A2 deputy chief executive, John Knevett, said: "We want to make it clear to people they will not be financially disadvantaged. If people are keen to sell and move on they will get the market value, plus moving costs and other annoyance costs covered."

As it stands, figures show 23 per cent of the estate's residents are for the regeneration plan, while 15 per cent are against. A large part, 62 per cent of residents have not yet stated how they feel.

Ten homeowners have opted to sell their homes to A2.

Now A2 is relaunching its consultation process, aiming to fully explain the project this time - something they admit they overlooked.

Residents will get a newsletter. Starting on September 25 its officers will visit residents before an exhibition in October.