Saved for the nation, the South London prefab estate built by German and Italian PoWs

And residents moving into the quickly-built timber-panel homes in the Excalibur Estate were warned that their new homes would probably stand for little more than a decade.

But 62 years on and the prefab estate is set to be given a Grade II listing by the Culture Minister, Margaret Hodge.

Grade II: 62 years on and the Catford prefab estate is set to be heritage listed

The official announcement is expected in the next few weeks.

The department claims that the case for listing the estate in Catford, an area of south-east London that was hit hard by Blitz bombing, is 'compelling'.

If the government goes ahead with the move it will mean that Excalibur will join a small list of prefabs which have received such status.

Each of the 187 prefabricated homes - and its rare, tin-roofed church - were built in a bid to fix the crippling post war housing shortages.

One resident, Eddie O'Mahony is still living there after moving in during the summer of 1946.

Historic: How the estate looked in the 1960s - long after it was expected to last

'I wouldn't swap it for Buckingham palace. Even if they included the Queen,' he told the Guardian.

After the Second World War, 150,000 'palaces for the people' as prefabs were called became synonymous not only with comfort and luxury but also with freedom.

Prefabs were popular after the war because they were relatively cheap to make and were easy to build as well as being much-needed following the wholesale bombing of parts of the country during World War Two.

They proved popular as they were the first buildings that many had lived in with an inside toilet.

Threat: Council chiefs want to demolish the houses in Catford, south-east London

Style: This house has been designed to look like a Tudor era home

The government at the time was so proud of the idea it staged an exhibition of the first prototype at the Tate Gallery in London in 1944 before commissioning private firms to produce their own models.

Over the years, Lewisham Council has tried to develop the site many times and a recent review found that none of the dwellings met Decent Homes Standard.

The estimated cost for refurbishment was a staggering £8.4 million, required over the next 30 years to deal with catch up repairs, future programme renewals, improvements, contingent major repairs, related assets and the removal of asbestos.

Their non-traditional construction meant they would require extensive structural work to over-clad the properties to improve thermal insulation and extend the life of the properties.

Even as Hodge ponders the listing, Lewisham Council, which owns 80 per cent of the Catford prefabs, will go ahead balloting residents over a demolition proposal.

Not all tenants have such a romantic view of their unorthodox homes and will vote to flatten the estate so they can be moved into modern housing.

Cosy: One resident said he wouldn't swap his prefab for Buckingham Palace