Minister visits scene of racial disturbances

Lord Falconer was shown around the areas at the centre of the racial disturbances in June.

Speaking in the Duke Bar area close to the Duke of York pub which was gutted in a petrol bomb attack, the minister said he had been told that 10 per cent of the private housing stock in Burnley was empty.

He said that figure was very high and that old houses would have to be demolished.

He had seen for himself in the Burnley Wood area today the problems of poor housing conditions and low house prices.

He said he could not commit the Government on the matter of finance to tackle the problem, but that he was here to make sure that they had all the relevant information when decisions were made.

The Minister for Housing, Planning and Regeneration saw for himself some of the housing and social problems in the Daneshouse and Duke Bar area.

The Minister was accompanied by Joe Montgomery, director general of the national Neighbourghood Renewal Unit and officials of the Government Office North West.

The delegation was met by Lord Tony Clarke, independent chairman of the Task Force set up to investigate the cause of the disturbances, Coun Andy Tatchell, deputy leader of Burnley Council and Coun Steve Wolski, executive member for regeration.

Lord Falconer also met representatives of local community groups in the Duke Bar and Accrington Road areas.

During the visit, he was briefed on key issues facing the town, including housing, employment, health, drug use and crime.

After he visited East Lancashire in October, Lord Falconer revealed a series of tough measures to alleviate East Lancashire's dire housing problems and acknowledged the area had missed out on government cash.

The Minister visited Darwen, Rossendale, Accrington and Nelson, but was unable to include Burnley. A later date was fixed but on that occasion Lord Falconer was called on urgent government business and the visit was put back until today.