The Duke of Westminster's property group is planning to demolish Walden House in London to make way for a new luxury development. Hugh Grosvenor is pictured

Britain's 'most eligible bachelor' has been accused of 'social cleansing' over plans to evict 40 families from their homes.

Hugh Grosvenor, 28, the Duke of Westminster, owns more land than the Queen and inherited a fortune of £9.3billion after his father died three years ago.

The Duke's property group Grosvenor is planning to demolish Walden House in Belgravia, London, to make way for luxury flats, shops and social housing by 2023.

Currently the building is leased to Westminster Council and 141 people including eight who are disabled have been told to move, reports the Mirror.

Some of the people living in the area, who currently pay £600 a month for a two-bed council flat, have been there for 40 years.

They are concerned they will not get a chance to live in the area, although they have been told they can apply for new homes up to 12 miles away.

Liza Begum, 34, who works as a PA for the NHS and has been at Walden House all her life, said: 'It's social cleansing.'

She claims residents were told in March about the plans, seven years after private tenants in neighbouring flats.

Residents, pictured, have started a petition to stop the plans saying they are facing 'the break up of their community.' It has now been signed more than 100,000 times

In a petition, which has now been signed more than 100,000 times, the residents said they are 'facing homelessness and the break up of our community.'

They explained: 'Grosvenor are now cancelling Walden House's lease, which has historically been for council housing provision, and plan to demolish the building.

'The Cundy Street flats are a mixture of affordable and market rent accommodation next to Walden House. Many of the residents are elderly and have lived in the area their whole lives. These too will be knocked down.'

The concerned residents added: 'There is nothing wrong with these beautiful buildings - Grosvenor just want to make more money.

'This is simply about putting profit before people. This is valuable land, and we are seen as getting in the way of building high-rise luxury investment flats.'

Grosvenor said they are commited to re-providing the affordable housing, in terms of both the number of homes and matching the tenure types, currently on site and hope to see even more built.

Currently residents pay £600 a month for a two-bed council flat and some have been living at Walden House, pictured, for 40 years

'Currently Westminster has almost 4000 households on its waiting list, including 2200 homeless households. With out building new homes there is no way of meeting this issue head on.'

Craig McWilliam, Chief Executive of Grosvenor Britain & Ireland, said in a statement online: 'We shared widely this year our decision to redevelop the Cundy Street flats and Walden House in South Belgravia, close to Victoria Station.

'Some are understandably upset at our decision to demolish these buildings even if they appreciate that doing so gives us the chance to create a better place with more homes for more people. We won’t deny those feelings as we open ourselves up.'

He explained the company has had more than 500 conversations in the public consultation and have collected 'over 1,500 points of view influencing our plans'.

Mr McWilliam said: 'We're offering residents, workers and visitors the chance to post their comments and poll their opinions through a new user-friendly app.

'We want to tackle the local housing shortage by roughly doubling the number of dwellings on this site with new market, senior living and affordable homes. We think this mix could nurture a community that spans generations.'

Hugh Grosvenor, pictured with his girlfriend Harriet Tomlinson, 27, inherited £9.3billion after his father died three years ago. He is Prince George's godfather

In addition Grosvenor said they are trying to be 'more transparent' and as part of this will 'open up this often opaque planning process to an independent journalist'.

Mr McWilliam said the group is being open as they 'believe in our plans for the Cundy Street Quarter and the benefits they could bring to Westminster’s communities today and in the future.'

Westminster Council told the Mirror that everyone will be offered suitable alternative council accommodation within Westminster.

Grosvenor is owned by the Duke of Westminster, the wealthiest person in the world under 30, who is friends with Prince William and godfather to Prince George.

He has ownership of the family seat Eaton Hall, as well as a property empire that includes 300 acres in Mayfair and Belgravia, and land in Cheshire, Oxford, Scotland and Spain.