BURNLEY Council has identified more than 200 homes to be refurbished as part of multi-million pound plans to rejuvenate some of the borough's most deprived areas.

Last month the council's executive committee agreed to focus £1.7million of the £15m it has to spend under the housing market renewal programme Elevate, on improving houses in the Colne Road and Accrington Road areas.

Next week members will vote on detailed proposals identifying 54 homes that will be improved in the next 12 months at a cost of £388,000.

These include 95-121 Coal Clough Lane, 1-15 Prestwich Street, 24-42 and 35-57 Accrington Road, 3 and 3a Blannel Street and 2-22 Hudson Street.

A further 186 homes will be improved in 2005/06 at a cost of £1.3m and a further report detailing which houses will be included in this second wave will be brought to the executive committee later this year.

The report being discussed by members on Tuesday states that a quick decision is needed on this year's face-lifting programme so that improvements can go ahead according to the strict timetable set out for spending the money.

Steve Tilley, the council's housing options manager, said: "The facelift programme over the next two years will enable the council to continue to revitalise and improve the housing market in Burnley."

The council decided to refurbish houses in the Colne Road area because it is one of the most important gateways to the town and would allow the funding to be used to make a major visual impact.

Plans to demolish a further 220 homes in Burnley Wood, South West Burnley, and Daneshouse and Stoneyholme were approved last month, as were a raft of other measures, including a vacant property initiative to refurbish and sell empty homes that have become the target of vandals, fly-tippers and arsonists, a project to create public green spaces and an anti-social behaviour mediation project.