Residents on an Oxford estate who were told this would be their last Christmas in condemned council houses are furious that a planned rebuild has been delayed again.

Those living in Rose Hill were told last month that builders should be on site by February, but Oxford City Council has now said work will not begin until autumn 2007.

City councillor Antonia Bance, who attended the south east area committee meeting where the setback was announced, told Rose Hill Tenants' and Residents' Association: "My understanding is that the tender to get the developer on board went out at the end of September. They will expect it back at some point reasonably soon.

"The developer will then apply for planning permission and, if it's given, the builders will start on site in the third quarter of 2007."

Liz Pladdys, chairman of Rose Hill Tenants and Residents Association, lives in one of the condemned homes.

She said: "When I moved to my house 20 years ago, I was told not to do anything with it, as I'd be moving in five years. Twenty years later, I'm still sitting there.

"I was offered a place in Temple Cowley, but I want to stay on Rose Hill - how long am I going to wait before the new build comes up? It's all empty promises."

Mrs Pladdys said there would be no original Rose Hill residents left by the time the houses were built.

City council estate manager Linda Jones agreed, adding: "There's more and more people saying they want to be transferred because they are fed up with waiting."

The rebuild project has already been hit by significant delays on several occasions previously.

The delay will also push back work on revamping and improving the estate's community centre in The Oval, improving the sports pavilion and boosting library services.

As part of the project, £480,000 was earmarked for community facilities, under a legal agreement with the future developers.

The prefabricated Orlit homes were built in 1949, but within a few years will be unfit for habitation.

The rebuild scheme, described as one of the most significant in Oxford in a decade, was given the go-ahead by the city council in December.

The council's decision-making executive board agreed to demolish the 153 substandard Orlit houses and replace them with 254 new homes.