Campaigners occupying Old Tidemill Wildlife Garden to stop a housing development have received a notice to appear in court.

The case at Bromley County Court on Thursday, comes after Lewisham Council lodged possession proceedings to get them out of the garden.

Save Tidemill, Save Reginald campaigners have been occupying the Lewisham Council-owned garden in Deptford since August 29.

The garden is part of controversial regeneration plans between Lewisham Council and housing association Peabody which were submitted in 2016.

The plans include the demolition of 16 council homes at Reginald House and the Old Tidemill Wildlife Garden to make way for a 209-home development, 117 of which will be let at genuinely affordable rates.

A Lewisham Council spokesperson said: “In response to the continued illegal occupation of the Tidemill site, we have lodged possession proceedings with Bromley County Court and a hearing has been scheduled for Thursday, September 27.

“We remain committed to building more than 100 new social rented homes on the site. These new homes will bring safety, security and improvement to the lives of local families who have already been waiting for far too long for a home of their own.”

But campaigners say they will challenge the eviction, crowdfunding £13,000 of the £21,000 needed to appeal a court refusal for a judicial review of the council’s decision to grant planning permission.

They want new plans drawn up for the development to both build new social homes and keep the garden.

A Save Reginald Save Tidemill spokesperson said: “We are not going anywhere.

“We are here to protect the garden and Reginald House and to stop the council recklessly destroying them.

“The council doesn’t have the support of the local community, yet they bullishly continue to try and force through these plans.

“The garden is a priceless green space in an urban area that is woefully short of green spaces.  The residents don’t want to lose their homes, they just want them refurbished.

“In their 2018 election manifesto, the council promised ballots for residents threatened by demolition, but this has been denied to the people at Reginald House.”