COUNCIL houses on a once-troubled estate are to be knocked together to meet the demand for homes for larger families.

Four two-bedroom council homes on the Moorside estate, in Consett, will be converted into two four-bedroom properties in a pilot scheme to help tenants stay in the area.

The estate is being regenerated, with 136 properties marked for demolition so the site can be marketed to private developers. Residents who wanted to stay have been moved to empty homes on the estate.

This has left 11 families who cannot fit into two-bedroom homes.

Derwentside District Council's executive has voted a £60,000 grant for the pilot scheme, which will be carried out in Dorset Crescent.

Councillor Alex Watson, leader of the council, said: "This will meet the needs of larger families who are anxious to remain in Moorside."

The estate has a history of problems with crime, vandalism and anti-social behaviour.

However, it has seen a reversal of fortunes after the district council launched its regeneration strategy in September 2002.