COUNCILLORS in Cleveland are pressing ahead with a scheme which could see hundreds of homes bulldozed.
Swathes of Grangetown and South Bank are designated for a revamp in a bid to revitalise the area.
Members of Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council's executive have agreed to buy more properties in Grangetown and have been told that negotiations for purchase in South Bank are going well.
As part of the Greater Eston Strategy, 1,200 homes were identified as being surplus to requirements, most of them in Grangetown and South Bank.
Some will be demolished, to cut the total number of houses and remove derelict properties, which are an eyesore and a magnet for vandals.
Because of the scale of the problem, there is not sufficient funding to buy and demolish all the properties involved, so the council could be involved in maintaining some homes.
Development director Dr Joan Rees said that some properties are being bought up for letting purposes.
"We fear this could spark a spiral of decay in otherwise stable areas," she said.
Dr Rees told councillors no decision had been made on what would happen to sites after demolition.
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