HOUSING chiefs are being urged to uphold a more "pro-active" approach to renovating private sector homes in the Ribble Valley.

A report to be discussed at Thursday's Ribble Valley Borough Council housing committee shows an under-spending on the renovation grant budget of £215,000 in the financial year 2000/01.

Housing officer Christine Grimshaw, who compiled the report, said the under-spending "was largely due to the limited number of applications on the waiting list and the shortage of contractors capable of carrying out the works for a competitive prices and to an acceptable standard.

"In order to combat this in 2001/02, a more pro-active approach has been taken to seek out eligible properties and to engage a wider range of contractors."

One such example is the proposed group repair scheme at 61-71 Whalley Road, Clitheroe, which is in the final stages of preparation.

If the scheme goes ahead it will result in the external improvement of six dwellings.

Christine Grimshaw added: "This scheme will benefit more than the individual owners and it is hoped it will act as a catalyst for similar schemes in other areas of the borough."

Committee members will be asked to approve several minor changes to the council's grants policies.

These include increasing the current grant maximum from £15,000 inclusive of VAT, to £15,000 plus VAT, in a bid to reduce the number of grants that require individual committee approval, which will avoid cutting back on the overall works to bring them within cost limits.