THE future of Whitefield, Nelson, was in the spotlight again as a group of heritage experts who are hoping to work with Pendle Council paid a visit to the area.

Members of The Prince's Foundation were invited on the sight-seeing trip by the Heritage Trust for the North West.

Led by Sir Jocelyn Stevens, former chairman of English Heritage and now deputy chairman of the Prince's Foundation, the group looked at the area of traditional mill housing around St Mary's Church, some of which is the subject of a public inquiry.

Pendle Council put together a 10-year plan, called the Nelson West Renewal Area, to transform the Whitefield part of town, including replacing 19th century terraced homes with flats, semi-detached, detached and three-storey town houses.

Alternative proposals were suggested by the Heritage Trust for North West and campaigners are now awaiting the outcome of the public inquiry in to the council's decision to demolish the homes.

Architecture, heritage and regeneration experts met community representatives and trustees for the Heritage Trust yesterday, before visiting Pendle Council and meeting chief executive Stephen Barnes and senior council officials to hear about the council's plans for the redevelopment of the Whitefield ward.

Fred Taggart, director of regeneration through heritage at The Prince's Foundation, said: "Nelson has a wonderful legacy from the industrial age and every effort should be made to conserve and re-use it in a way that meets modern requirements and the needs of a vibrant multi-cultural community.

"We have already agreed to adopt the Lomeshaye Bridge Mill as a pilot project and to work with the Heritage Trust for the North West to bring it back in to productive use.

"We are now on a listening mission. We want to see if there are any other ways in which The Prince's Foundation can help the community and the council regenerate this area in the best possible way.

"Our specialists in Islamic architecture met the local Muslim community to discuss how traditional English mill housing can be refurbished to meet their particular needs and we have ideas about how the church and other vacant mill buildings might be re-used.

"I believe the unique historic character of this part of Nelson can be conserved for furture generations, but it will be an exciting challenge."

Mr Barnes said: "We explained the council's plans for the area which includes a mixture of clearance and improvements.

"We said we were very keen to preserve the historical buildings, such as the church and Lomeshaye Bridge Mill, and to work with them to develop schemes to do so.

"We want to positively work with the Prince's Foundation on these historical buildings and that dialogue will continue after the outcome of the inquiry."