BACUP and Stacksteads Estate Management Board has agreed in principle to the setting up of a central repair team for Rossendale area.

Press officer for the EMB, which manages the council's houses Bill Pearson said: "We had a vote to go along provisionally with what is proposed and we are investigating the implications before we sign any agreement."

He said a meeting had been arranged with the EMB's advisers on the Priority Estates Project on December 18 when the contract would be looked into to see if it was viable.

Mr Pearson said that there were also anomalies needing to be straightened out about fees which had been charged for works that had already been carried out.

He added that there would be a discussion about the way the EMB's budget had been cut.