TEN thousand Pendle residents are to be quizzed about housing needs, to help council officers boost funding bids.

Data collected as part of the housing study will contribute to any future bids for government cash.

Pendle Council recently commissioned the survey to enable it to establish the needs and aspirations of local people. This will assist in shaping the council's future housing strategy, provide evidence to support policies in the borough Local Plan Review and form an important contribution to the bid for central government funding.

Postal questionnaires will be sent to 9,775 randomly selected households throughout Pendle and will include home owners, people who rent privately and tenants of housing associations.

It is designed to build up a picture of both current and future housing needs for the Pendle area by asking householders questions about their property, the people who live in it and any short-term or long-term housing needs.

The survey is confidential and no name or address will be requested, although the forms are coded to identify the area of residency.

Housing and community services manager, Ian Broughton, said: "I would urge local people to take a few minutes to contribute to this important study. Pendle is a very diverse area and we need as much information as possible to reflect all people's needs. What people have to say, regardless of whether their present housing is suitable or not, is extremely relevant and will assist the council greatly as it shapes its housing strategy and planning policy over the coming years."

The survey will be undertaken on the council's behalf by David Couttie Associates, an independent company specialising in housing research.

It has been funded by Pendle Partnership, who donated £20,000, and the council, which has put in £10,000.

Questionnaires are due to be distributed on Monday, with a return date of June 9.