RYELANDS residents were jubilant this week after plans to redevelop the estate were thrown out following a tense three-hour council meeting.

Punching the air in celebration, many residents hugged each other and with a sigh of relief explained: "Now we can sleep at night."

The possibility of bulldozers moving onto the estate had left many tenants and residents anxious and fearful for the future.

But it took the casting vote of the Mayor Edna Jones to decide the matter after hours of impassioned debate.

The ward's Labour councillor, Roger Sherlock, summed up the mood of the residents and said: "Time and time again they have said that they don't want their houses bulldozed but they don't feel like anyone is listening to them. The only consultation process has been - you'll have the plan we want you to have. The whole community is very angry. I don't know how they can say more clearly that they don't want Oakapple's plan."

This view was echoed by deputy labour leader, Cllr Ian Barker, who said: "They can't sleep at night with the prospect of demolition. We won't have their confidence if we proceed now. They don't want to appoint a preferred developer." Gina Dowding for the Greens emphasised that people were the key to changing Ryelands and that successful schemes around the country should be looked at for ideas.

"There have been worse estates than Ryelands that have transformed themselves by empowering people to find their own solutions. It's worth waiting to find just the right scheme to make sure we get it right."

West End Labour councillor Trevor Tattersall explained that demolition had solved none of the West End's problems and said: "Our former council leader used to say that millions had been spent on the West End and they should be happy.

"The MBI were swept to power on a wave of anti-big brother feeling and here they are, acting like big brother. We've got to tackle the crime and disorder but knocking down houses won't make the slightest difference."

In defence of the Oakapple scheme, Cllr Shirley Burns said: "Where are the play areas and the community centre going to go if we don't knock some houses down. It's just fear of the unknown that's worrying people."

Housing chairman Cllr Carol Broad said: "The need for change is evident. We have a turn over of 130 houses a year and 10 empty properties at the moment. It's financially inept to spend money on houses that no one wants. In the past we've wasted money on Ryelands and failed to turn it around. Lets give the whole of Ryelands a chance."

After Oakapple had been rejected as the preferred developer an amendment proposing that discussions with Oakapple continue was tabled will led to further heated debate. It again fell to the mayor to make a casting vote and the amendment was rejected.