ANGRY families have accused the council's regeneration arm of performing a U-turn after being told homes will not be refurbished.

Middleport residents discovered their houses will not be getting the facelifts they expected when they attended a public consultation event.

Renew North Staffordshire was at Middleport Park Bowling Lodge yesterday as part of a consultation giving three options of how the area should be transformed.

But, just weeks after being told their Morton Street homes would not be bulldozed, residents say Renew North Staffordshire will no longer pay for a facelift for their properties.

They say that is in spite of Renew originally indicating the houses would be done up if they were not pulled down.

Sharon Black, aged 41, said: "I am very angry and so is everyone in my street. New houses are going to be built all around but we aren't even getting any money to improve our homes.

"We will just be known as the dump in the middle.

"We need our roofs doing, work on our back gates and boundary walls."

Neighbour Eileen Jones, a 64-year-old supermarket worker, added: "We haven't done anything to our homes for years because we didn't know whether they were coming down or staying up. It is ridiculous."

Debbie Hope, project manager for Renew, said: "For that area there is no refurbishment option being shown but we do work with partners, and the home improvement agencies in the area would be available to help owner occupiers improve properties. Renew money would not be focused on refurbishments but we would ask our partners to make their money available."

The consultation has given people the chance to see exactly what could be on the cards for their street. Three overall options for Middleport's future were presented to residents, who have been invited to choose the way their community is transformed.

The scheme covers four key sites: the former Bournes Bank pottery, Woods Pottery, the Co-op bakery and the Slater Street area.

An ongoing consultation event – incorporating new housing, employment, shops and transport links – has presented the choices and more than 70 people have returned questionnaires.

After viewing the options, residents can give their feedback so a preferred masterplan can be drawn up in July.

But they have been warned that the most thorough scheme, option three, could take 15 years to put in place.

Ms Hope said: "The consultation events are about different people having their say, discussing all the different options and hearing our thought processes so we can gauge reaction."

The last consultation event will be held tomorrow between 10am and 3pm at Longport Church.