NELSON architect John Clancy has told councillors to come up with a vision for the town as he slammed plans to revamp the area by demolishing housing.

Mr Clancy was speaking at a Nelson Area Committee meeting after about 70 Walverden and Clover Hill residents said they would fight plans to demolish their homes under housing renewal scheme Elevate at a public meeting on Sunday.

But Pendle Council's executive director for regeneration Brian Cookson told Nelson area committee that 'nothing had been decided yet'.

Mr Clancy said: "Where are we going. What is the vision for Nelson? We haven't got one. What is the point in creating green areas when we don't have a parks department to look after the ones we've already got?"

Mr Clancy is a co-opted member of Nelson Committee which means he can speak but not vote.

Consultants Nathaniel Lichfield and Partners are working on an 'area development framework' for how to give the town's ailing housing market a boost during the next 15 years.

They are expected to deliver a final report in November which councillors will then use to decide how to proceed with the 'housing market renewal' scheme.

But despite Mr Cookson's assurances nothing had been decided, councillors and members of the public remained critical of the project.

Susan Nike from Whitefield and Bradley community economic development partnership said: "If nothing has been decided, why are people being told their houses are going to be knocked down in areas nobody imagined they would be?

"Who has drawn these lines on the map?"

Councillor Dorothy Ormrod asked how much the consultants were being paid, to which Mr Cookson answered a 'significant sum'.

The committee was discussing a progress report on the consultants' work so far including talking to 360 people at 'drop-in' sessions.

They found 65.5 per cent of people in Nelson wanted 'some kind of change' and the main areas of concern were tighter control over private landlords, grants for home owners to improve properties and a general clean up of the area.

Committee chairman David Foster said: "We are listening to people.

"A lot of councillors are not happy with what these consultants are proposing. There will be far more consultation."