A £140 million regeneration scheme in Rayners Lane has been branded the "benchmark" for other programmes.

The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and social housing provider Home Group released a report last week assessing the impact of the project at Rayners Lane, a former Harrow Council-owned estate.

The research showed significant social return on investment for the redevelopment - with academics calculating £10 back for every £1 invested.

Brian Ham, director for enterprise and development at Home Group, said: "These results are really positive and a good benchmark for other regeneration projects.

"With innovation and community at its heart, we look forward to seeing more local authorities adopting this social model."

The estate was previously difficult to manage, run down and unpopular.

Fear of crime was high, with only a third feeling safe or very safe being out after dark.

Home Group carried out a major redevelopment of the area building houses and apartments, shops and business space, along with the Beacon community centre, sports facilities and a new park.

In total, 539 homes from the original estate were demolished and replaced with 800 new homes of mixed tenure of which nearly 500 were for rehousing existing residents plus some for outright sale and shared equity.

Reflecting what Home Group spends in order to run the estate, compared with the return or pay-back the community and the landlord gain in social benefits, LSE assessed social return on investment as £10 for every £1 invested in the development.

Anne Power, professor of social policy at London School of Economics, said: "Rayners Lane shows that it is possible to rebuild a former council estate with most of the existing tenants in place.

"By providing local management and community resources, the landlord can help the community flourish.

"The Rayners Lane model shows how social renting and private housing can fit together into a workable whole."

The report highlighted points residents see the regeneration as having brought positive changes to the estate.

Some 85 per cent of residents say they think the estate is now better than it was.

Four in five people living in the estate now think the quality of life there is good or excellent, compared with only a quarter in 2003.

Half of residents think that crime has reduced in the last year.

Learning, skills and employment have shown noticeable signs of improvement with nearby schools improving and the number of people with qualifications increasing.

Health of people in the estate has also improved, complimented by major investment in activities for children and young people, particularly with the Beacon centre which hosts a wide range of local events, classes and clubs.