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Ideas being considered include a children's play area, community gardens, skating ramps and wildlife a tree planting areas.

Residents associations have circulated questionnaires to their members and there are plans to follow up these with public meetings to discuss the findings of the surveys.

Concerns expressed by residents groups so far include problems with private landlords who it is believed are playing a major role in the degeneration of the local community.

Under new legislation private landlords will have to register multi-occupancy houses but councillors are campaigning for even single occupancy lettings to be brought under legislation.

There is concern that landlords may abandon properties rather than carry out the refurbishment required under health and safety regulations which may cost them too much.

This could lead to an increase in empty properties in the area which already has high numbers of derelict private properties contributing to social and economic decline.

Residents have called for landlords who fail to meet regulations to be denied housing benefit to support tenancies.

People taking part in the survey have also expressed strong feelings expressed strong support for small scale, selective demolition and rebuilding as the only option to prevent further urban decline.