BURNLEY's deputy mayor has been appointed to a national panel to help the government improve deprived neighbourhoods.

Coun Rafique Malik will join 19 other members of the Community Forum.

The panel met for the first time on Wednesday at the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Region's headquarters in London.

The members will be expected to relay to the forum problems in their areas so the government can pinpoint future Neighbourhood Renewal schemes.

And in turn, the panel has to inform their own communities of the work the Neighbourhood Renewal Unit (NRU) is doing to improve people's quality of life.

The NRU launched a recruitment campaign for the forum last September. Applicants were appointed who had the best experience of getting communities involved in improving services.

And Coun Malik said he was delighted to be selected and was eager to share experiences of regeneration with people from across the country.

"I have been extensively involved in neighbourhood renewal community regeneration for over 25 years and have seen lots of good work," he said.

"And I think the community forum is a great opportunity to give local communities the chance to have their voices heard, which has not always been the case in the past.

"I think it is going to be very useful for the North West, particularly Burnley, to hear about schemes which have been tried and tested in other areas, so we can consider how they might be applied here to accelerate regeneration."

Regeneration minister Lord Falconer said the national strategy for Neighbourhood Renewal was one year old and there had been many successes and signs of progress.

"But there is much more to be done," he said. , "Erasing years of neglect takes time and requires a long-term commitment from everyone."

"Forum members will pay a key role in helping to renew our poorest areas.Their views, based on real-life experience, will help ensure that communities are genuinely involved in the process of revitalising their neighbourhoods.

"The forum will be a hotline to the Government. It will act as a two-way source or information, not only for honest views but also by bringing their neighbourhood renewal knowledge to the wider communities they represent."

The forum will meet four times a year. Panel members will be paid for their time and expenses.