WORK to improve housing in Burnley and Padiham is likely to be completed years ahead of schedule thanks to an £8million cash boost.

Burnley and Padiham Community Housing was expecting repair work to bring all of its 5,000 houses up to the Government's Decent Homes standard to take until 2010, but it now expects this to be complete in the next two years.

The extra cash has come from the company's funders, the Royal Bank of Scotland and Nationwide Building Society, who have released the additional money after being informed of the work needed to improve standards in the properties.

About 1,500 of the company's homes will be affected by the work , which will include upgrading central heating systems, converting empty properties, upgrading sheltered housing schemes and improving estate fencing.

When it took over the 5,000 homes from Burnley Council, 40 per cent of homes failed to meet the standards, and all of them are now expected to do so by the end of 2005.

The company's finance director Paul Atkinson said: "The work will now be done in two years instead of taking a much longer period of time, which is good news for us and good news for the customers.

"From their perspective this means they will get more efficient heating and new fencing programmes much sooner, which will also save them some money.

"We will be telling our customers about the extra funding in a newsletter and everyone whon is due to get work done will receive a letter individually explaining what will happen."