A £30,000 ceiling is to be put on the cost of improvements to individual houses under Burnley's group repair programme.

The spending limit on individual properties was decided after the housing committee were told the estimated average cost of doing work to houses in Bankhall Terrace was £38,450.

Housing needs manager David Riley, commented: "It is a lot of money, but they are very big properties and we have to decide whether it is sensible to spend that amount of money on group repair."

Coun Carole Barber said maybe they were spending more on repairs than the actual market value of the properties.

In the central renewal area, group repairs had not increased the market value of the properties.

Housing chairman Rafique Malik, said: "We have to swallow the pill. This is happening all over the country where property values are low. It stabilises values.

"In one part of Stoneyholme you get a house for £25,000 but on the other side of the road you can pick them up for £4,000."

Finance chairman Peter Kenyon, commented: "I have wondered for some time whether we are getting the balance right between what we spend on group repair and what we spend on clearance."

The committee agreed the £30,000 limit and that the next blocks to be programmed would be in Devonshire Road, Bankhall Terrace, Colne Road and Brougham Street. A reserve list of properties was also agreed.

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