Compulsory purchase orders could be slapped on three private homes to ensure a Brierley Hill regeneration project is not scuppered.

A number of houses in subsidence-plagued Orchard Street are set to be bulldozed to make way for 23 two, three and four bedroom homes in a joint project between Black Country Housing Group, Russell Hobbis Architects and Dudley Council.

Most homes are occupied by council tenants but three are privately owned. Surveyors have been appointed by Black Country Housing to value the properties and reach a settlement with the owners. But the council is preparing to put plans in place if an agreement cannot be reached by applying for compulsory purchase orders on the three homes in case they need to be issued.

Dudley Council’s cabinet will consider whether to support the use of compulsory purchase orders at a meeting in October.

Council spokesman Phil Parker said: “Compulsory purchase powers will be put in place for the first phase of the Orchard Street regeneration to be used only as a last resort as we would hope to agree on a purchase through negotiation with owners.

“Black Country Housing Group has already appointed surveyors to negotiate with the three owned properties in Orchard Street.” The majority of people living in the affected properties are council tenants who have been told they should be able to move out in the next few months once suitable alternative accommodation has been found.

Demolition and construction of new homes as part of the first phase is expected to begin next summer. Eight further houses are set to be demolished as part of a second phase of work. Ten houses have already been demolished over the past five years because they had become so rundown.

Most council tenants are in favour of the scheme. Jessie Radford, aged 67, said: I’ve been waiting a long time for this.”