ROSSENDALE council houses need a £49million cash injection over the next ten years to bring them up to modern standards, an independent survey has revealed.

But just how the Conservative-controlled council will raise the cash and tackle the problem will not become clear until the results of a special options study are unveiled next month.

The study will look at the best way forward for the 4,700-home stock -- with options including handing over every estate to a new social housing company better able to raise the necessary cash to carry out improvements, or selling off the houses to the private sector.

Housing chairman Stephen Birtwell says a third option would be for the council to keep and improve the stock itself, with the suggestion that far more Government cash than in previous years will be available for public sector housing maintenance this year.

"We intend to make a public presentation on the findings of the housing options study in around a fortnight," he said. "But we expect to know just how much money we will be allowed to spend on housing towards the end of September and if, as suggested, there is much more money available, it could change the picture completely."

It was the lack of maintenance and improvement cash over a period of years, which saw a sharp decline in the standard of housing, which forced Burnley's Labour council to sell its entire stock to a newly-formed social landlord earlier this year.

Blackburn with Darwen Council is also considering a similar move.

Councillor Birtwell said recently-announced Government Challenge Fund awards would provide cash for house improvement in Bacup and the existing regeneration scheme in Haslingden had seen £5.7million spent and 95 per cent of homes improved in Haslingden over the past four years.

"We are in a reasonably good position in terms of the standard of council houses compared with many other towns, but clearly more has to be done."

The new stock condition survey, carried out for the council by NBA Consortium Services, said that generally Rossendale's stock is in good condition, reflecting the council's commitment to maintenance and the ability of officers to target available finance effectively.

It added, however, that a significant proportion of stock fails to meet present-day basic standards of accommodation and amenity.

It stated that failure to carry out the necessary work would result in a growing backlog of repair, extra demands on the maintenance budget, a decline in standards of accommodation offered to tenants and an increasing burden on council finances.