TACKLING unfit and vacant housing in Burnley will be impossible without more resources and radical action, councillors have been told.

Burnley Council has failed to meet targets both for reducing the unfitness of properties and returning vacant properties into use over the past year and admits little can be done to address the shortfall without extra cash from the Government.

In 2001/2002 action on unfitness was 1.9 per cent against a target set by the council's Best Value review of two per cent.

And the proportion of empty houses returned to use was just 0.21 per cent against the same yardstick.

Ninety two houses were cleared and 76 were made fit through grants or other council action says the report which was discussed at last night's meeting of the Executive.

The failings were revealed in the report which forms the council's latest update to central government on their strategy to tackle poor housing in the borough.

One of the key messages in the Task Force report following last year's riots was that "the poor quality of housing, especially older private housing, is a major factor in creating dissatisfaction in all communities."

The council has already received £2.66m of government money to start their housing renewal schemes, but is waiting for the outcome of Whitehall's Comprehensive Spending Review later this year to see if a bid for £670million over the next ten years has been successful.

Despite the failure to meet targets the council has introduced several schemes aimed at addressing poor housing conditions, including spending £180,000 on improving the energy efficiency of homes and investing more than £350,000 on home improvement works.

It has also introduced a Home Zone in the Accrington Road area of the town to be in place by 2005 which will enhance around 80 homes and establishe a Good Landlord and Tenant scheme.

Coun Donald Hall said: "The council does not underestimate the momentous task.

The housing strategy update demonstrates the council's efforts to address these problems and restates the case for resources."