A VETERAN councillor has called for the profits from revamped homes in Burnley to be reinvested in the same area.

But former planning committee chairman Coun Anne Kelly has been told that the proceeds from the Empty Homes Cluster programme must be shared between housing regeneration areas.

Coun Kelly told a full council meeting it seemed “unfair” that some areas would provide more takings from the scheme, and the money would be spent elsewhere.

Coun Howard Baker, executive member for housing, said: “I have a problem with this because it is all going into one pot of money.”

The councillor, who is also an estate agent, said he would expect sales to be more straightfoward in certain parts of the borough but some properties may have to be discounted to make them attractive to buyers.

Three areas – Burnley Lane, Gannow and Trinity — were selected as part of a successful £3.5million bid by the borough council under the Empty Homes Cluster initiative earlier this year.

Next week the borough’s executive is being asked to make compulsory purchase orders for 48 properties under the programme.

The homes in question range from Arran Street, Elmwood Street, and Nairne Street in south-west Burnley, to Boundary Street and Brennand Street in Burnley Lane, to White Bull Street in Gannow.

Coun Baker added: “This is about improving the quality of houses across the borough, stopping them from becoming derelict and a target for vandals and arsonists, and so boosting the quality of life for residents around them. Empty houses attract anti-social behaviour such as vandalism, fly-tipping and arson and they can drag down a street or neighbourhood.

“It makes sense that, where appropriate, empty houses are brought back into use because it brings so many benefits.

“It provides extra homes, it makes better use of existing resources, it helps reduce anti-social behaviour and it improves the wider neighbourhood.”

Up to 175 homes could be renovated in this way.