'We're being kept in dark' - Tenants

Bradford South MP Gerry Sutcliffe is to hold crisis talks with Bradford Council as the wrangle over Bierley's £22 million pound regeneration scheme continues.

The Labour MP is to form a working party made up of residents from the estate, which will meet the Council and Yorkshire Metropolitan Housing Association to demand why plans to build them new homes have changed.

Tenants in Bell House Avenue, Sayle Avenue and Heathhall Avenue - whose run-down houses were due to be demolished in April - have already issued a "we will not be moved" message to Bradford Council after being told that 51 homes in Shetcliffe Lane will no longer be built.

Now they say they are being kept in the dark about the development and are demanding to know when they will be re-housed.

At a meeting between residents and Mr Sutcliffe on Saturday, Joyce Greenwood, of Heathhall Avenue, said: "The whole thing's an absolute shambles.

"Nobody's telling us what's going on - we're being kept in the dark about everything.

"We don't want to lose our neighbours and we don't want to move to other parts of Bradford.

"We were told we would be getting new houses and we would all be able to stay together.

"Now, they're putting people from other estates into the empty houses and we're not getting a look in."

Kathleen Normanton, of Heathall Avenue, said her home was in constant need of repair.

"My furniture's mouldy and I haven't had a bath in my house for 18 months - it looks like the Council has stopped doing repairs," she said.

The development was part of a £22 million pound regeneration scheme to build hundreds of Bierley homes by Bradford Council and Yorkshire Metropolitan Housing Association, which began in 1995. The housing association has dropped the final stage of the scheme as there wasn't a big enough demand from residents.

Mr Sutcliffe said: "Residents entered into an agreement with the Council and its partners and if plans are going to be changed, they need to know why.

"The reason behind the development was to modernise Bierley's housing stock and to re-house Bierley people.

"We need to meet with the Council and the housing associations to get some answers to the questions raised."

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