article_snippet.sent: The housing association said the works had been planned well in advance and were nothing to do with The programme .
article_snippet.sent: Local people said the street was normally 'quite grotty' A local councillor said the council had tried to thwart The programme from filming in Stockton .
article_snippet.sent: people  were annoyed when it came out Channel 4 were filming there, worried it was portrayed as a bad area.'
article_snippet.sent: Stockton-on-Tees Council and Thirteen Group have denied the works were planned with the release of Benefits Street in mind.
article_snippet.sent: A spokesman for the local authority said the local authority had been scheduled in advance, adding the council had done 'everything' to thwart the controversial series being filmed in Stockton. '
article_snippet.sent: Lots of people agreed with We that this is not a good thing for the Borough.'
article_snippet.sent: A spokesperson for Thirteen Group who own the houses and are in charge of the developments said: 'The ongoing investment in We properties is planned well in advance and any inference that the filming of any TV programme could influence this is completely untrue.'