Fewer than a third of the families “forced out” of a Black Country estate want to return after it is rebuilt. A total of 268 tenants on the North Priory estate in Dudley were promised first refusal on new houses that will replace their homes.

However, only 73 have expressed an interest. A further 33 said returning wasn’t very important, while the remaining families either said it wasn’t important at all or didn’t respond. Many residents expressed anger when the rebuild was announced, saying they were being forced out of an estate they loved.

Of the 329 houses to be built during the revamp of the estate, almost 200 will go on the market for sale, with 16 set for shared ownership and 115 available as “social rented properties”.

Brian Wilson, former chairman of Priory Tenants and Residents Association, said: “Anyone I speak to says they just want to get out of the place. I know some of them don’t want to go back because they’ve settled where they are now. A lot of them are over in places like Coseley or Kingswinford, and they’re not interested in coming back here.

“It’s not surprising really, the way the estate had been allowed to go downhill so much over the years. The whole reason why the estate has got how it is is because the council hasn’t enforced the tenancy agreements.”

The work will be carried out by Bromford Housing Group with Haslam Homes.

It is hoped demolition will begin in March 2009 and that the scheme will be complete by June 2012.

Alfred Surman, aged 74, a Fern Road resident all his life, had previously said he would have to admit himself to a home if he was forced off the estate. “If you’ve been raised and brought up in the estate, and you’ve got good neighbours, you don’t want this,” he said.

The scheme will involve every home being knocked down in Berry Road, Heather Road, Pine Road, Thornhill Road, Castle Mill Road, Primrose Crescent, Fern Road and an adjoining part of Priory Road.