SOME of East Lancashire's worst-off areas were today told they would be getting a multi-million pound boost.

Local authorities have been told they will now get double what they first thought under the Government's Neighbourhood Renewal Strategy.

Improvements to housing will be top of the spending agenda for Hyndburn, which will receive £2.91million over the next three years -- £318,000 in the first year, which is double the original estimated.

Over the next three years Blackburn with Darwen will receive a total of £9.754million for regeneration projects throughout the borough.

Council chiefs will be liaising with local community groups to decide how best to spend the cash.

Hyndburn Council leader Councillor Peter Britcliffe said: "The policy of this council is one of improvements to housing and investment in the Borough and we will be working with the community to ensure what we do is acceptable to them."

The jackpot comes less than a year after a successful £8million Single Regeneration Budget bid to rejuvenate many downtrodden parts of West Accrington and Scaitcliffe.

The cash boost was announced by Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott and will be available from April.

He said: "Our aim is that within 10 to 20 years, no one is disadvantaged by where they live."

Hyndburn MP Greg Pope said: "This is brilliant. It is excellent news . Everybody knows that Hyndburn needs extra resources. We've been doing rather well in this respect --we've got Shore Start money, cash from the Single Regeneration Budget and now this extra money for neighbourhood renewal. It's very good news, I'm very, very pleased."

Home Secretary and Blackburn MP Jack Straw added: "That's very good, it's excellent news. It's another credit for the council.

"There are plenty of places in Blackburn where money like this needs to be spent and it shows how our area is increasing benefiting from the economic policy of the Chancellor Gordon Brown."

Darwen MP Janet Anderson said: "This is a demonstration of the Labour government's commitment to help Blackburn with Darwen and other places in the country."

"It will mean an enormous amount to my constituents and other people around the country."

"The double money bonus for local councils has been welcomed by Burnley MP Peter Pike and his Pendle colleague Gordon Prentice.

Mr Pike said: "It is great news that Burnley is to benefit from the neighbourhood renewal fund.

"The government is determined that local people will be involved in deciding how their neighbourhood should be developed.

"I particularly welcome the additional money for the first year starting on April 1, an extra £318,00 making a total of £636,000 for year one and increasing the three-year total to £2,865,000."

Mr Prentice hailed the news as a real tonic. He said Pendle would be getting £98,000 in the first year, double the allocation previously announced.

He added: "This is great news. It is money Pendle needs and it will be up to local people to decide the spending priorities."