PLANS to regenerate the deprived Gresham area of Middlesbrough are set to get back on track.

Middlesbrough Council feels the economic time is right to forge ahead with radically changing the rows of streets behind Linthorpe Road, a vision which has been on the drawing board for a decade.

To meet the demands of modern living, 1,453 terraced properties were earmarked for demolition by Mayor Ray Mallon in 2005. This was later reduced to 705. Then in 2013 it was announced that 201 properties in "phase B" would be saved.

Titled Gresham – Next Steps, the report presented to the council's executive this week made a series of recommendations, including the need for a development strategy for the area and to find a development partner to build 80 mixed residential properties.

It also aims to support the wishes of the Sikh community by giving an option agreement on an area of land for the relocation of the current Sikh temple.

A multi-storey car park, community buildings, open spaces, retail and commercial development and 'live/work' units have all been identified as further possibilities.

The document states that since the project started 598 households have been rehomed and 280 properties demolished. A £3m investment has been secured from Erimus Housing and the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) and 30 new homes are being built. Seven properties have also been transferred to the Middlesbrough Community Land Trust (CLT) to provide affordable housing for local people.

More than 1,300 properties have benefited from an £8m investment in energy efficiency measures and more than £1.4m was obtained from the HCA to bring 110 empty homes back into use.

Cllr Charlie Rooney, Middlesbrough Council’s Executive Member for Regeneration, said: “There has been an awful lot going on there. We realise it isn’t finished, but we are trying to square that circle.

“Early discussions have been very encouraging and there is undoubtedly a growing momentum of development in the town.

“However, it is of absolute importance that we have a development brief in place that will ensure that the redevelopment of Gresham is deliverable and achieves the high quality that the council requires.

“The brief will articulate the council’s vision and encourage developers to deliver that high quality residential development that would assist in the creation of a stable, vibrant and balanced town centre housing market.”

Cllr Tracy Harvey, Executive Member for the Environment and Gresham ward councillor, added: “The current Government is the reason why this project stalled but I think this development is absolutely fantastic.”