Anger over housing revamp plans

An appeal against plans to demolish 1,500 houses in Middlesbrough has been thrown out by council chiefs.

Members had been asked to rethink the proposals because local people claim they had not been given enough time to consider the £150m development.

But a meeting of Middlesbrough Council's scrutiny committee has given the regeneration plan the go-ahead.

The town's mayor, Ray Mallon, said the 750 new homes would be built to encourage people to stay in the area.

'Hoodwinked' claim

The scheme covers neighbourhoods in central and west Middlesbrough and almost half of the houses due to be bulldozed are empty.

Although the consultation process began a year ago, many locals claim the first they heard of the plans was when a glossy pamphlet was pushed through their doors in recent months.

One resident Peter Birt said: "The first I knew my house was being knocked down was 12 July, before then we had had no notification from the council whatsoever.

"Then we heard there was to be a meeting of the committee the following week which didn't give us any time at all to get a campaign going to ask the council to rethink what they were planning - I feel we have been hoodwinked."

The council plans to buy about 1,500 properties in the Gresham area and replace them with new homes, meaning most housing between Princes Road, Borough Road and Union Street will be cleared.