Some of the houses have already been demolished

Minister Iain Wright is visiting the Fiveways estate in Rock Ferry on Monday where almost 300 homes are being flattened to make way for new houses.

A resident on the Fiveways estate said youths "terrorised" locals and houses were "damp and overrun with mice".

Those who are staying on the estate are in temporary accommodation.

The new homes will be finished by 2009.

The project, run by government housing renewal agency New Heartlands, aims to revive the housing market.

The New Heartlands' scheme is investing over �190m in more than 130,000 properties across Merseyside.

New Heartlands is one of the government's nine Housing Market Renewal Pathfinders charged with helping communities affected by housing market failure.

Impressive plans

Residents association chair Kate Sharkey said: "There's a lot of anti-social behaviour.

"A lot of people felt terrorised by gangs of youths out on the streets drinking and whatever else.

Ms Sharkey said this caused people to move off the estate, but many who have lived there for years, impressed by the plans, have decided to stay and see the project through.

"We are going to have our own drives and gardens at the back.

"It'll be safer for children to play and it'll just build up a new community which is what we've wanted from day one. We know it's going to be brilliant.

"We've got a strong community," she added.

"We are good people and deserve this.

"The houses now are damp, we are overrun with mice and this is a light at the end of the tunnel."