PENDLE'S bid for funding for its private housing sector is well under way after councillors united to support the bid and nominated the leader of the council to authorise it.

Members of the Executive were told the bid would be submitted to Housing Minister, Lord Falconer, in January, when it was hoped the minister would visit the region again.

Chief executive Stephen Barnes said: "Following the visit of Lord Falconer there is a clear understanding among ministers of the problems in East Lancashire and perhaps a real vehicle to address those problems is now before us.

"Hence the need to develop proposals for them to consider early in the New Year."

Ian Broughton, housing and community services manager for Pendle, said: "We are trying to secure a significant amount of resources for East Lancashire and particularly Pendle to make between £300 million and £800 million made available for housing over a ten year period."

The bid for resources under the Housing Market Renewal Fund could lead to significant additional resources being made available to tackle the poor private sector housing conditions in Pendle. Councillor Alan Davies said: "Every other programme we have been able to look at in practice has dealt with petty cash in comparison to this one.

"This is an exciting and imaginative way for East Lancashire to get together as a whole and for Pendle to lead the bid on behalf of East Lancashire with the greatest experts here in this borough."