MPS and council bosses have renewed their plea to the Government for £670million to transform derelict and sub-standard housing in East Lancashire.

The move came after MPs Peter Pike of Burnley, Gordon Prentice of Pendle and Greg Pope of Hyndburn all attended the homes summit at Burnley Town Hall yesterday.

It was supported by Blackburn MP Jack Straw and Rossendale and Darwen's Janet Anderson.

Twelve months ago at the request of then housing minister Lord Falconer, Burnley, Pendle, Blackburn with Darwen, Hyndburn and Rossendale councils put together the submission for the massive amount of cash.

It is aimed at tackling problems of decaying and derelict Victorian privately-owned terrace housing, low demand and low property values, and rundown council estates.

Earlier this year , the government identified East Lancashire as one of ten "pathfinder" areas to be given money to develop plans for government cash help.

The region has already been given £2.66m "seed corn" funding from the government to begin the process of improvements.

Rossendale was initially left out but the East Lancashire Consortium, led by Burnley, hopes to have it put back in the final scheme.

The local authorities have briefed MPs on the final plans so they can lobby Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott and other ministers to ensure the money is approved.

Mr Pope said: "There are homes which are unsaleable and unfit to live in. This money is vital and can transform huge parts of East Lancashire and the lives of thousands of people.

"It can kick-start whole areas of East Lancashire.

"This is a problem that has been ignored by successive Labour and Tory governments. It cannot be ignored any longer."

The £670 million bid would change the face of housing in East Lancashire, according to community leaders.

All six borough councils in East Lancashire have worked on the strategy which Lord Falconer asked to be produced after visiting the area last year.

If the bid for cash is successful, detailed plans will be put together on what money will be spent and where, although initial indications have suggested 9,000 homes will have to be bought from the private sector and demolished.

About 1,100 new houses, probably offering more bedrooms to meet growing family sizes particularly in the ethnic minority communities, will be built for sale or rent.

Some 260 industrial or commercial premises based in housing areas will be moved to other sites in a bid to make residential areas more attractive to house buyers.

Grants will also be made available to convert commercial premises into residential blocks. And £46 million will be used to make environmental improvements, including new playgrounds, traffic calming measures and landscaping.

Another 7,600 homes will be the subject of group repairs, 7,300 will be given facelifts, and thousands of home improvement grants will be dished out.