THE chairman of a board set up to regenerate Billingham has expressed his disappointment at the low number of residents who replied to a survey giving their views on the proposals.

Billingham Partnership Board sent about 16,000 information brochures to households in the town detailing the proposed Gateway project, which will use leisure, health, cultural and learning facilities to revitalise the economy and improve services for the community.

The brochures included a freepost feedback form, but only 1,006 responses were received.

Of these, 50.6 per cent supported the partnership's recommendations, 47.2 per cent were against and 2.2 per cent indicated no preference.

"It will be up to the Billingham Partnership Board to decide how to proceed when it meets next week, but my initial reaction is one of disappointment at the low number of responses," said partnership chairman Kevin Pitt.

"The result may seem closer this time, but the reality is a high profile campaign against the proposals has succeeded in persuading only three per cent of Billingham's households to reject them.

"You can only ask people the same question so many times before consultation fatigue sets in. Sometimes yes really does mean yes."

Plans for the Gateway include an ice arena, a 25-metre swimming pool, a library and Internet access suite, health centre and gym.

The complex would be built on part of John Whitehead Park.

Barbara Jones, from the friends of the park, said: "Not many people actually responded to the survey and so it is not many in favour when you look at it.

"Our group's objective has not changed and we will still campaign to save the park.

"When we carried out our own survey 5,000 people said they wished to keep the park so who knows what would have happened if a lot more people had bothered to respond to the survey."

Billingham Partnership Board will meet on Monday at 5.45pm in the New Life Resource Centre, Low Grange Avenue, Billingham.

The meeting will be open to the public.

The survey data, collated by Nems Market Research, is available on the www.billinghampartnership.org.uk website.