A CRISIS hit area of Burnley contains more boarded up homes today than it did eight years ago, despite a £10 million improvement programme, a community leader has revealed.

The major clean-up of terraced homes in the Central area was held up as an example to others when work began, drawing national publicity and a visit from housing minister Sir George Young.

But community leader Coun Carole Barber has told fellow councillors that the massive investment in the "showpiece" Albert Street-Leyland Road district - the town's biggest housing renewal area - hasn't solved its problems.

Now councillors have agreed to visit problem areas and speak to residents in a bid to find a solution.

Today she said private landlords had snapped up homes as external improvements were carried out but allowed them to lay empty when no grant cash was made available for internal improvements.

Coun Barber told the housing committee last night: "Money and cosmetic improvements are not the solution. Things need to be done from the roots up."

"There needs to be a wider look at all aspects of improvement, including environment, relationship to industry and opening up areas through demolition," she added.

Housing chairman, Rafique Malik added: "Just polishing the outside is not the answer." He called for all political groups on the council to work together to tackle the town's housing crisis.

He said that after 18 "wilderness" years of Tory Government, Burnley's housing had been decimated.

"We need to have a comprehensive appraisal, a think tank to look at all these problems."

Finance chairman Peter Kenyon said £200 million was needed to tackle Burnley's housing problems, but the council had just £3 million a year to spend.

Discussion was sparked by a protest petition from residents in Burnley Wood calling for council action in an area where one in 10 properties are boarded up.

Liberal Democrat leader, Gordon Birtwistle, said he was horrified to see the number of bricked up, boarded up and broken into homes in the Accrington Road area of town.

"This Government can spend £800 million on the Millennium Dome at a whim, yet is can't lift a finger to help give people in Burnley decent living conditions."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.