A DISABLED woman who bought the house next door for better wheelchair access says she has been let down by a scheme set up to pay for the conversion.

Jan Fairbridge, who lives with her husband, Stuart, in Costa Street, South Bank, Middlesbrough, is confined to a wheelchair.

The couple spent £3,000 on the house next door, intending to convert the two properties into a single house, to give Mrs Fairbridge unrestricted movement around the ground floors.

To help pay for the work, they signed up to the Extensive Homes initiative, piloted by the South Bank Renewal Team.

The scheme, which was due to start last year, offered financial help in extending homes.

But after signing up in October 2000, the Fairbridges are still waiting for the scheme to start.

Mrs Fairbridge, who runs a national steroid awareness charity from her home, said: "We have repeatedly contacted the team since the scheme was announced, but we are always told no decision has been made.

"It's left us with a house next door that we can't afford to do anything with. I'm on benefits because of my disabilities, as is Stuart, because he looks after me full-time.

"We have now been told the scheme has been scrapped and we've heard that compulsory purchase orders could be put on our side of Costa Street.

"No one at the renewal team tells us what is going on."

But Neil Cawson, of the South Bank Renewal Team, denied the scheme had been scrapped and said there were no plans to demolish either side of Costa Street.

He said: "I have been in fairly regular contact with Mrs Fairbridge for some time in relation to single regeneration budget funds being used to help convert their two properties into one.

"Although 'two-into-one' conversions were suggested as one option for dealing with empty properties, the idea has not been progressed and has, to a degree, been overtaken by other issues and initiatives the housing groups have since identified and had to consider.

"In light of the delay this issue will be dealt with as a matter of priority."