NEWS that more than 30 back streets in Burnley could soon be gated in an £80,000 scheme aimed at preventing crime and anti-social behaviour has been welcomed by residents.

Plans to block off the darkened back streets behind homes plagued by burglaries, arson attacks and fly-tipping have been under way since February last year, when residents were asked to sign up to the scheme.

Burnley Community Safety Partnership has secured funding from sources including Elevate and the Home Office Communities Against Drugs Fund and last week Lancashire County Council agreed to apply to magistrates for orders to gate more than 30 back streets across the borough. Court orders are needed because alleyways are classed as public highways.

Streets in Trinity ward, including Coal Clough Lane and Howard Street, are among those set to benefit.

Trinity resident Lilly Wearing said: "We signed petitions for alleygates at both ends of our back street last year, and we have now learnt that this improvement will take place once it has been approved by the courts. We are all feeling jubilant."

Ward councillors Tony Lambert and Carole Galbraith were also delighted that the progress was being made to get the gates in place.

Coun Lambert said: "Alleygates are very popular in Trinity and most streets signed up for them as it cuts down crime and helps people to feel safer in their own homes. We all have our fingers crossed." And Coun Galbraith added that 2004 looked like being a good year for local residents.

She said: "The people living on this street have had their back street resurfaced, after campaigning for a very long time.

"It is looking extremely hopeful that alleygating will take place before the summer.

Elevate, the Housing Market Renewal project, will receive news by the end of March from the Deputy Prime Minister about its funding bid for Burnley and this street is also on the edge of the Home Zone area and work will need to start on that project very soon.

Melva Burton, from Burnley Community Safety Partnership, said alleygating had proved to be successful in reducing crime and anti-social behaviour in other parts of the country.

But she added that all the residents in the streets identified in the scheme had to support the gating for it to go ahead.

She said: "There are a few who aren't happy about it, so it may be that some of the streets designated will not be included in the final scheme.

"It is a community led project, so people have got to want it."