THE Government is expected to be brought in to a controversial plan to demolish hundreds of homes in Redcar.

Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council wants to demolish 214 houses on the 40-year-old Courts estate, the Roseberry Square shopping centre and Riverdale Infant School, Redcar.

The demolition will make way for a £35m development of up to 560 houses, shopping and community facilities, landscaping and open space.

The proposal is seen as an important part of a larger scheme to regenerate Redcar.

The plans have met with opposition from local residents, and the council has received 105 letters of protest and a petition containing more than 1,100 signatures. The residents' main concerns are the loss of open space, while the council says it is carrying out surveys on the environmental impact.

But in a report to the council's planning committee, Dr Joan Rees, director of the economy and environment department, says the proposals are in line with national guidelines and would provide enough open space.

She says: "No objections have been raised in respect of the redevelopment of the Courts area itself.

"Concern has been expressed regarding the demolition and relocation of the Roseberry Square centre, which relates to the need to provide replacement facilities before the centre is demolished, and to ensure that the new centre is large enough for future needs, given that it will be smaller than the existing centre.

"It is considered that the new centre would maintain its status as a local centre and satisfy the retail requirements of existing and proposed traders.

"Furthermore, new community facilities are also being proposed which will be of considerable benefit to the community.

"The existing centre has a run-down appearance and a new centre in a more prominent location would represent a considerable improvement on the existing situation."

The council's planning committee is meeting on Thursday to discuss the matter and is expected to refer the decision to the North-East office of the Government's Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions.