CAMPAIGNERS fighting to stop their community being bulldozed claim to have won a respite.

Residents of Middlesbrough's embattled Gresham ward have appealed by letter to Prime Minister Tony Blair and his deputy John Prescott to halt plans to demolish 1,500 terraced houses across the town.

A decision was expected later this month, but the North-East Housing Board has written to regeneration group Tees Valley Living, agreeing with the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) to put a decision on hold until early next year.

A Government spokesperson said: "The ODPM wants to ensure that the Housing Board has the time to take a considered and thorough approach to the appraisal of the Tees Valley Living housing market renewal proposal.''

Government North-East officials propose going through the regeneration team's plans with them, in detail, highlighting "where greater clarification is needed and enable you to amend and refine the text and proposals.''

Both Middlesbrough Council and Teesside Living are playing down the delay, insisting the sheer scale of a £43m bid for regeneration projects across the entire Tees Valley is the reason - not the protests of Gresham residents.

But Ashley Marron, spokesman for the residents' group, Middlesbrough for Positive Regeneration, says Gresham residents have been given a respite.

He said: "This is really a good news day for Gresham families faced with the potential demolition of their homes.

"The ODPM statement shows that common sense is at last beginning to win through.

"It recognises that guidelines have indeed changed and are still changing to the view that mass widespread demolition simply is not the answer to build sustainable communities.''

But Jim Johnsone, director of Tees Valley Living, said: "I think these changes in the timetable would have happened because Middlesbrough is one of 14 projects in the Tees Valley.

"There are similar numbers from Durham, Tyne and Wear and Newcastle and Gateshead. So I think it has to be seen in context.

"This is a big exercise and it is putting it on a more realistic timescale.''

Middlesbrough for Positive Regeneration has a website at www.homeregeneration.com