PLANS to demolish homes in Brierfield under the Elevate regeneration scheme look set to be approved by Pendle Council, despite opposition from local councillors and residents.

The council's executive committee is due to discuss the proposals for Brierfield's canal corridor on Thursday.

Officers are recommending approval of plans for the Holden Road and King Street area, which include demolishing houses in the lower part of Holden Road and King Street to make way for new housing.

Vacant houses and poor quality rented stock in King Street Terrace would be bought for refurbishment and sale to displaced residents.

Shops and other premises on the upper part of Clitheroe Road and Railway Street would be demolished or refurbished.

However, officers say further discussion is needed over plans for the Clitheroe Road area.

Two options have been put forward by a working group of council officers after further public consultation on proposals drawn up by a team of consultants.

The first involves demolishing houses in Claremont Street, Berkeley Street and numbers 17 and 19 in Clitheroe Road to make way for a canal-side residential development, retaining houses on Veevers Street, Belgrave Street and 27 Clitheroe Road and buying up vacant and poor quality private rented stock for refurbishment and sale. The alternative option is to demolish houses in Veevers Street, Belgrave Street and 17 and 19 in Clitheroe Road.

However, at the last meeting of the Brierfield and Reedley committee, local councillors called for all the Brierfield plans to be scrapped and new ideas developed with the help of local residents.

Brierfield ward councillor Frank Clifford said: "We want to go back to the drawing board.

"The Government has been very clear that this is about regenerating communities and the people within these communities shaping that process.

"It is not about taking lots of houses down, then bringing in a yuppy developer to build cottages that the people who have displaced from that community cannot afford."

He added: "What we have asked the Executive for is a meaningful partnership between the council and the community so that they can engage in the project and create something that everyone is happy to sign up to."

Plans for the North Valley area of Colne will also be discussed at the meeting of the Executive.

The proposals have been backed by the Colne Committee. They include demolishing 34 houses in Bright Street to create gardens and off-road parking for residents in Mason Street and New Market Street.

Vacant and poor quality privately rented housing in Mason Street and New Market Street would be bought for refurbishment and sale to owner occupiers or displaced residents.