AS the controversy about the M62 motorway rumbles on, MPs are being recruited to lend their support to sorting out the mess.

Faced with the growing possibility of finding homes for dozens of families, evicted as tenants from houses bought up by the Highways Agency, Bury Metro is demanding financial assistance from the government.

Many tenants were told they must leave the houses by the end of January.

Now they face using hostels, and for the first time in Bury, bed and breakfast accommodation.

Bury Metro's Community Steering Group Chairman, Councillor Derek Boden has written to MPs David Sumberg, Terry Lewis and MEP Gary Titley.

In his letter he declares himself against any tenant being rendered homeless and the fact that, in most cases, the homes from which they may be evicted would remain empty.

He explained that evicted tenants with a local connection and those with children would take precedence over existing waiting list applicants.

"The second consequence will be that Whitefield will once again be blighted by considerable numbers of empty properties which will be prey to burglary and vandalism and will depress house prices in the surrounding area as well as further exacerbating concern about crime," he said.

He calls for flexibility in timing of terminations of tenancies to help residents and to avoid properties being left empty for long periods as far as possible.

He wants the MPs support for those who are willing and able to purchase homes.

He also wants support to persuade the government to make capital available to the Local Housing Authority and Housing Associations to enable Bury Metro to respond adequately to problems which local people had not created and for which no allowance, so far, has been made by the government in its assessments of housing needs in the area.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.