COUNCILLORS are to decide how best to spend a £12million cash windfall for Colne and Brierfield.

The money, allocated as part of Elevate - the Government's intiative to improve crumbling housing, will concentrate on ways to improve the Pendle towns following an eight-month consultation process.

Pendle councillors will now use Area Development Frameworks - reports into local housing conditions prepared by independent consultants - to determine how to spend money to shape the area over the next 15 years. Proposals to go before Pendle Council's Executive next Thursday include the total renovation of over 100 houses and the potential demolition of 128 houses in Brierfield, and replacing 68 houses and repairing a further 55 properties in Colne.

Proposals to improve the maintenance of neighbourhoods will also be heard.

If approved there will be further public consultation with work starting on the projects within two years.

Councillor Alan Davies, Leader of Pendle Council, said: the council has some important decisions to make in influencing the future of Pendle.

He said: "This is a first big step forward in getting much needed investment into many areas of housing in Pendle.

"What councillors now have to do is to make some important policy decisions. I am determined we must do so by working closely with the residents in the affected areas."