DRASTIC plans to demolish and rebuild large parts of a council estate could kick-start the regeneration of a village.

For several years, the Whitehill estate, Pelton Fell, near Chester-le-Street, has suffered at the hands of vandals and arsonists.

Nearly two-thirds of the council homes are empty and are proving a magnet for anti-social behaviour.

One woman, Chris Grimwood, who brought her council home on the estate about 12 years ago, said the area had deteriorated to such an extent that no estate agent will sell her home and she will no longer let her three children out to play.

But now, a consortium of housing groups, Chester-le-Street District Council and other representatives have been appointed to oversee the regeneration of the estate and are now working on plans that they hope will help regenerate the whole of Pelton Fell.

David McGrath, vice-chairman of Pelton Fell Community Group, said about 300 homes will be demolished and about the same number of properties built in their place.

He said: "The estate is basically going to be demolished and a mixture of housing, some social and some private, put in its place.

"There's also going to be a new village hall.

"It will make a great deal of difference to the people living in the village. Of the 300 homes on the estate at the moment, only about 100 are occupied. So we're looking at a big influx to the village."

The consortium has pledged to consult closely with residents over the plans.

It has already held a consultation day and is staging one-to-one discussions with them.

But Mr McGrath feared there had not been enough consultation so far with residents who face having their homes demolished.

He said: "I think people are just concerned at the moment because they want to know what's going to happen and they're not getting all the information they would like.

"They want to know whether they will have to move out, or leave the estate, or if they can move back once the work has been done.

"But I believe that's all being dealt with by the community discussions they are having at the moment."

The leader of Chester-le-Street District Council, Councillor Linda Ebbatson, also stressed that anyone with concerns now had the chance to put them to those involved in the consortium during the one-to-one interviews.