BURNLEY and Pendle will top the spending next year in the multimillion pound regeneration of East Lancashire’s housing market.

Last month the Government awarded £48milion for the latest stage of the Housing Market Renewal scheme.

Under the programme, houses are refurbished and rebuilt in an attempt to stimulate the market, while run-down areas are cleared and redeveloped.

Burnley is to be given the largest allocation, with £13.1milion, followed by Pendle with £11.4million and Blackburn with Darwen on £10million.

Precise details of each scheme have yet to be finalised by Regenerate Pennine Lancashire, the replacement to Elevate, the company that has run the £650million scheme since 2003.

But a number of areas have been set aside for investment.

In Blackburn with Darwen, homes in the Griffin area will be refurbished, and properties deemed to be in poor condition bought and demolished.

The £8.9million allocated to Hyndburn will see work beginning in the Woodnook and Burnley Road neighbourhoods, with demolition continuing in parts of West Accrington including Steiner Street and St Andrew’s Square to make way for new open spaces.

In Burnley, homes will be refurbished in three key areas - Stoneyholme and Daneshouse, Burnley Wood and South West Burnley.

Meanwhile in Pendle eco-friendly renovation of Victorian terraces will continue in Whitefield, and bosses hope to start building new housing in Brierfield.

Rossendale’s allocation of £2.4million will see preparation work begin for 'very high quality' houses on Anvil Street, Stacksteads.

Some £2.4million will be spent on admin costs and other projects run under the Pennine Lancashire brand.

Max Steinberg, who is heading up the Housing Market Renewal programme, urged ministers not to 'abandon'the scheme - whichever party wins the next general election, despite the threat of looming spending cuts.

He said: “We have made the case for investment, and feel we are well placed with any government that is in power.”

Mr Steinberg has been asked to produce a report on the economic outlook for the scheme for the next meeting of East Lancashire’s council leaders in Burnley next month.