BRIERFIELD residents living in streets set for demolition are in 'no man's land' according to a former councillor.

Former Pendle Council leader Azhar Ali lives in Berkeley Street, one of the roads which will be 'cleared' to make way for a new housing development.

He said people had lost faith in the council leadership at a meeting of Brierfield and Reedley area committee.

He challenged Brierfield councillor Nawaz Ahmed, part of the executive which decided to press ahead with the scheme, to air his views. But Coun Ahmed said he knew nothing about letters sent out to 101 households on Monday afternoon.

Mr Ali said: "Everybody is in no man's land. We don't have any confidence in the council leadership.

"We don't want another Whitefield where houses are boarded up for ages while the council decides what to do."

Brierfield councillors complained they had not been involved in consultation over the housing market renewal project, which aims to boost Pendle's ailing housing market during the next 15 years, either.

Councillor Pauline McCormick said: "We were told at the meeting with Elevate the Liberal Democrats were in charge and they would make the decisions."