RESIDENTS of a "lost village", concerned about the length of time they have been waiting for repairs to council-owned homes, met yesterday.

People living in Howden-le-Wear attended a public meeting to talk about a perceived lack of interest and investment in the village from Wear Valley District Council and Durham County Council.

They claimed that many of the homes needed modernisation work, such as double glazing and cavity walls, particularly as many of those living in them are elderly people.

The forum was attended by newly-elected district councillor John Bailey, Ian Hornsby, neighbourhood manager for the district council, and Peta Cockburn of Age Concern, and was a response to concerns raised at a previous meeting last month.

Under the district council's new Arms Length Management Organisation (Almo), Dales and Valley Homes, many repairs in Howden-le-Wear will not be carried out until at least 2009.

That will mean the village is one of the last communities to benefit, and residents said it was treated like a "non-entity" and a "lost village".

Another resident said: "Some of the houses here are slums. They need work now, not 2009 or 2010. It's time the council did something for tenants in these villages."

One resident claimed to have had an inch-and-a-half of frost inside their windows due to the cold weather and the lack of modern windows.

Mr Hornsby pledged to look into specific complaints, and said that if extra funding was secured, work may be able to start sooner.

Coun Bailey said that, although he wished work could begin earlier, the Almo would benefit the area in the long run.

Another meeting takes place on Tuesday, February 28, at Howden-le-Wear Community Centre, at 2pm.