MILLIONS of pounds worth of regeneration projects in Pendle could be put on hold because the Government has changed the planning system, councillors have claimed.

A scheme to pump £12million into Pendle's ailing housing market during the next two years is under way with projects in Colne, Nelson and Brierfield.

But the borough has based its plans on one system - which the Government is abolishing to replace with another.

That means the council may have to re-do all the work it has already done to plan the area's regeneration.

And much-needed improvements may have to be put back for two years while legal wrangling takes place.

Councillors fear they could be left with plans based on one set of rules which could be challenged by objectors under another.

And that could see two public inquiries running at the same time to debate what should happen to the same piece of land if residents raise objections.

Leading Pendle councillors have branded the situation 'ridiculous'.

Councillor Tony Greaves said: "If we're working on a masterplan for part of Nelson and that brings up urgent action we need to take, we get the money from Elevate to get on with it and then we have to wait two years for this new Area Action Plan to be agreed.

"We could have two public inquiries taking place at the same time, about the same issues, the same piece of land with different inspectors, under a different system, one at Nelson town hall and one in the Silverman Hall."

Pendle Council is about to receive the results of nine months of consultation on how Nelson should be redeveloped under the Housing Market Renewal. Last week, an intensive project to work out a street by street plan for Whitefield was carried out and councillors plan a similar exercise for Nelson town centre early next year.

But that could all have to be put on a back burner while the council works on a scheme called an Area Action Plan for each area - similar to the Area Development Framework it is about to get from consultants Nathaniel Lichfield and Partners.

Council leader Alan Davies said: "This document identifies 36 different consultations. It's just ridiculous."

Southfield councillor Sonia Robinson said: "The Government's been pushing us to get on and then suddenly it's sticking a spanner in the spokes of the wheels. It really is a disaster."

Planning manger Neil Watson said it was too soon to say whether the new system would affect the regeneration plans and the government had not been able to enlighten council officers either.

He said: "I haven't got an answer. There would appear to be a policy vacuum."