KEN Bury isn't going over the top when he describes his job as 'like walking a tightrope.' As the director of housing at Hyndburn Council, he faces an uphill battle.

The statistics he has are grim: 30,000 houses, 9,000 of which are in need of repair or improvements to bring them up to standard.

Some 1,600 are empty for the long term. Demolition in many areas, including parts of Accrington, will be the only way forward.

Total cost: £200 million. Total coming from government each year: roughly £3million. There are also dribs and drabs given to social housing landlords and cash for council houses, which aren't really the issue; 8,500 of the 9,000 bad houses are privately owned.

Hyndburn is suffering from a recurring problem. Once it was at the forefront of the industrial revolution, and mills sprung up everywhere, together with the multitude of terrace houses which now stretch for mile after mile.

At the time, they were ideal, providing shelter for workers close to their employment. Some 100-150 years on, the picture couldn't be more different.

Many people have moved out, leaving properties empty. They have fallen into disrepair, lowering the tone of areas and making others want to leave. Those who are still there often are because they have no choice. A once-fashionable terraced house sells for £20,000 -- even after £20,000 has been spent bringing it up to standard.

Ken said: "The situation is now that we are able to obtain a lot of money for social housing, that is the properties we own as a council, and are working to improve those. But the major problem lies in the private sector. "As a council, we have a duty to help repair houses but we just aren't getting the money through for it. Until last year, we got a set allocation for giving out grant repairs to people.

"Now that money has been thrown in with the main pot of council cash and we have to fight to get our bit.

"There is no guarantee we will have any money to help people who want to improve their homes."

It may seem like all doom and gloom, but progress is being made, although if the council was to rely solely on government cash it would take nearly 200 years to bring housing up to today's standards, and by then, houses built in 100 years from now would need attention.

Ken added: "We simply have to be imaginative with what we have. West Accrington is a prime example. It has some of the worst housing in the borough. It was awarded regeneration money last year and we have come together with a scheme called Project Pheonix.

"The council provides £2million, the private sector puts in £650,000 and the rest comes from regeneration cash called Single Regeneration Budget. It has yet to be approved, but we are hopeful."

Part of that scheme involves demolishing some 200 homes and replacing them with just 30. Won't this create a shortage of houses?

"Not likely, says Ken. "Many of those houses are empty. Others are uneconomical to repair. We also have to cope with changing demands, for example, providing more bungalows for old people. We haven't enough of those but we have too many terraced houses, which people don't want.

"Demolition, or decommissioning as it is now known, is a controversial subject but, in many cases it is the way forward."

At the moment, the council is producing a housing strategy which shows how the council will overcome its housing crisis. Ken added: "Part of it involves us working with the planning department to be more strict with people wanting to build housing estates.

"We have to think 'do we actually need this' and, if so, is there any provision for afforable housing.

"Just banning developments isn't an option. We need to make sure people continue to live in this area but at the same time sort out the housing we have. It is like walking a tightrope."

Ken cites houses on Ormerod Street as an example of what can be achieved. Working with social housing landlords like Space Housing Association, the grotty terraces have been transformed into stylish, modern mews which are now attracting positive comments.

Ken said: "It would be great if we could do that throughout Hyndburn but we can't. We don't have the money. We need MPs to lobby hard to get more money for housing.

"It isn't just a case that once the old houses are sorted we are OK. We have houses built in the 1960s which were only supposed to have 30 year lives. We have to deal with them, too."

Hyndburn MP Greg Pope said: "It is a massive problem, especially bad in Hyndburn. Good housing is of paramount importance to the well-being of a community.

"I have raised the issue in parliament and will continue to fight for the cash the area deserves."