A social housing provider is to knock down 48 homes on a former council estate.

The houses are on Blackburn's Whitebirk Estate and are scheduled for demolished in the New Year.

The properties to be knocked down are in Brecon Road, Devon Road, Gloucester Road, Hereford Road, Monmouth Road, and Worcester Road

The Together Housing Group has applied for permission to demolish the buildings from Blackburn with Darwen Council.

The move follows the social housing provider seeking consent to knock down 28 houses are in Staffa Crescent on its neighbouring Shadsworth Estate in Blackburn, as part of a £20 million makeover of the 1950s development.

It also plans to demolish another group of properties in Shadsworth - the former Gleneagles scheme.

Frances Clarke, assistant director for place shaping at Together Housing, said: “Together Housing is investing in Whitebirk to ensure it continues to meet the needs of the community now and in the future.

"This forms part of our wider Place Shaping investment programme across our operating area, including some recent work in neighbouring Shadsworth.

"As well as investment in new buildings, this includes improvements to parks, green spaces, and public areas.

“While working with the community to establish local needs we identified 48 properties which will either develop structural problems in the long term or were not viable for further investment.

"Just under a year ago we spoke to residents in these properties about our proposal to demolish them and the options and support available to them.

"The vast majority have now been allocated new properties, many on the Whitebirk Estate, and some have already moved.

"We have now finalised plans for demolition and have made the necessary application to proceed.

"If approved, demolition will take place next year.

“After Christmas we will be speaking to residents whose homes are not directly affected about what they can expect from the works and how we can support them as required.

"We will also continue to work with the community to explore how the space is used.”

A supporting statement with the application says: "The site is situated in various areas across the Whitebirk Estate, spanning approximately 20 hectares from the south of Devon Road, to Gloucester Road in the North, bounded by Whitebirk Road to the east and the west of Hereford Road.

"The demolition works will be undertaken by an experienced demolition contractor in accordance with best practice.

"All buildings will be demolished down to slab level and all relic foundations will be grubbed up by a machine digger.

"The disturbed ground will be levelled and compacted flat in preparation for further potential development.

"Demolition works will take place between 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday, and between 9am to 1pm on Saturdays.

"No works will be completed outside of these times, on Sundays or on Public Holidays."