Residents' fears over flat demolition plans

Andrew Walker said he had not got a car and wanted to be near his doctors' surgery among other facilities

A tenant has said he does not think he will be able to cope if Stoke-on-Trent City Council decide to knock down the flat he has lived in for 20 years.

Ten tower blocks in the city could be demolished or renovated and, depending on which option is chosen, the project is expected to cost between £41m and £78m, the council said.

New homes would be found for residents, but Andrew Walker said he blamed the council for letting his tower block in Penkhull fall into disrepair over the years.

A public consultation on the plans is running until 26 September and Stoke-on-Trent City Council said it would gauge people's views on what to do with the tower blocks.

Mr Walker said he did not have a car and needed access to his doctors, and was worried about what would happen.

'Going downhill'

"I don't think I'd cope if they knocked down my house after 20 years and shoved me elsewhere," he said.

"There's a lot of anti-social behaviour and they've let the flats go to rack and ruin. They don't maintain the building.

"We like our flat and we try and make the best of it. It could be, and has been, a nice place to live, but it's just everything's going downhill and it's all in my opinion down to the council."

Residents met at a drop-in session to discuss the plans on Wednesday evening and flat owner Mo Alshariff, who lives in Port Vale Court, in Burslem, said he wanted more answers as he was worried he would lose his home and money.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council said the consultation was to gauge people's views on what to do with Port Vale Court and other tower blocks

The consultation is considering the future options for 10 council tower blocks:

• Arthur Cotton Court and Port Vale Court, in Burslem

• Boundary Court, Brookfield Court and Forest Court, in Hanley

• Dibden Court, Penkhull Court and Southern Court, in Stoke

• Pedley Court and Robinson Court, in Blurton

"My flat is nice, because I've spent a lot of money, spent a lot of time and I've worked extremely hard to earn enough money to purchase it," Mr Alshariff said.

"I am mortgage free... and now they'll be taking that away from me. they are offering money, but that money is not equivalent."

City councillor Carl Edwards, who was at the meeting, said doing nothing with the tower blocks was not an option and wanted to hear what residents had to say.

"The point of the exercise is to find out what the residents would like us to do," he said.

"The residents already understand that the tower blocks have issues and we have to do something with them.

"Maybe the city council should have done something 10, 15, 20 years ago, but we are where we are and we've got to start the process now and the sooner we start the process, the sooner we can approve the housing."