Middlesbrough mayor's pledge to revamp 'cancer' estate

Many properties in the area have already been partly demolished

An area of Middlesbrough once described as "a cancer that needs to be cut out" is to be redeveloped, the town's mayor has pledged.

The Gresham area of the town is mostly derelict and plagued by crime after years of failed attempts to revamp it.

But mayor Andy Preston has agreed to lease 7.5 acres to social housing group Thirteen, which plans to build 179 new homes over the next five years.

Mr Preston said he hoped the plan would bring people back into the town centre.

Thirteen has been given a 999-year lease on the land, which is bordered by Borough Road and Union Street.

'Feel safe'

"Gresham has been a big issue for a very long time, some of the problems have been complicated, but all the public have seen for too long is an eyesore that drags down the entire town," Mr Preston said.

"This is going to be a massive part of everything we need to do to make sure the town centre is revitalised and a place where people feel safe and want to live and visit."

In 2013, then mayor Ray Mallon, who branded Gresham as "a cancer", halted plans to demolish 1,500 properties, admitting the scheme was too ambitious.

But Mr Preston said he was confident his scheme would succeed.

Middlesbrough Council hopes the project will bring in £235,000 a year in council tax plus £940,000 from the government's "new homes bonus", which rewards councils for building affordable housing.