Houses in a run down Manchester council estate are set for a revamp after town hall chiefs won a £29m government grant.

The money will be used to revamp properties in Collyhurst and the news comes less than three months after Coalition officials withdrew the much bigger fund of £250m to redevelop the area.

The new scheme will mean properties that are most in need of repairs will be refurbished and brought up to the national decent homes standard. A portion of the £29m will also be spent in West Gorton, the main location of the councils remaining housing stock. However, residents of Collyhurst who lobbied the Government after last year’s withdrawal, say the new funding is not enough and is just a fraction of what cash is needed.

Ray Fisher, chairman of the Collyhurst South Tenants’ Association, said “I was delighted when I heard that we had succeeded in getting some money but it is not as much as we had hoped. We had approached them for £39m which is what we would have needed for vital repairs to homes which need new boilers, double glazing, kitchens and bathrooms.”

Greater Manchester council have now confirmed they will put an extra £5m to the pot from the budget they will receive in April. The residents are understandably delighted with the outcome of their efforts in securing the extra funding and say they hope to see even greater improvements in the area. Neighbourhood leaders believe the refurbishments to their run down homes will see homeowners once more take pride in their homes and invest in them. They believe security measures and household insurance policies will proliferate and the area will improve dramatically.

The new money from The Homes and Communities Agency will be spread out over four years. Only £3.6m of the fund will be available during the first two years with another £5m being made available in 2013 and the bulk of the cash (around £20.6m) will not be available until the final year. It is hoped that the money will go a long way in improving homes in the city.