RESIDENTS of an east Hull street claim council regeneration work has blighted, not improved, homes.
It is claimed a so-called "eco-improvement" project in Holland Street, partially funded by Hull City Council, has been poorly managed and created lasting damage to properties.
Now, an official complaint has been lodged with the Local Government Ombudsman in the hope of resolving the matter.
Tony Parker, 62, chairman of Holland Street Residents' Association, and his wife Chris, 61, have lived in the street for more than 30 years.
He said: "The work isn't going to solve the real problems we have.
"We've taken these concerns to council officers as members of the residents' association, but nothing is being done, so we had no choice but to go to a higher authority."
Jim Duggan, 68, said "There remain a lot of unanswered questions as to why they are doing what they are doing.
"Changes have been made to the original plans that we were not told about and it's put the homeowners on this street at a disadvantage."
The run-down houses were originally set to be demolished and tenants were promised new homes as part of the Housing Market Renewal Initiative regeneration scheme.
However, when the money was withdrawn in the wake of Government cuts in 2010, Hull City Council secured private sector funding from energy company Npower to make improvements to the homes.
Councillor Gary Wareing met with residents at a meeting last week to discuss their concerns.
"The residents have been badly let down," he said.
"This whole area was going to be regenerated, but when the money was withdrawn by central Government, there was very little that could be done.
"This was the second-best option and the council has done the very best it possibly could do to improve the existing homes for residents.
"Although this is still a multi-million pound regeneration project, it's not what residents were originally promised, so I understand why they are upset."
In a statement, Hull City Council said: "The council has met with residents this week to discuss their concerns.
"The £2m regeneration project funded by the council, which includes installation of external wall insulation and front boundary walls and railings to approximately 200 privately-owned properties in Holland Street, commenced in 2013 and is due for completion in the new year.
"The council is committed to improving the thermal efficiency of these Victorian properties and overall visual appearance of the area, and will continue to work with residents until final completion of the project."
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