PROBLEMS caused by empty houses have sparked a 1,700-name protest petition from residents in the Burnley Wood area of Burnley.

They are demanding council action in an area where one in 10 of the 1,200 homes in the district is empty or boarded up.

Their protest will be heard at Burnley Council's housing committee tonight - but officers already say there is no easy answer.

A report says the authority is aware of the problems in the area and will be drawing up specific action plans with cash from the Private Sector Renewal Strategy.

But officers admit that because of the extent of the problem and lack of resources "wide scale activity is unlikely". The report says Burnley Wood's woes had to be considered in the context of the overall private sector in Burnley.

A house condition survey six years ago showed £105 million would be needed to tackle the problem of unfitness and disrepair, and since then conditions had deteriorated.

The report adds: "It is likely that a local house condition survey of the area will be recommended following a borough-wide survey which is due to start in August.

"This subsequent survey should give a more accurate indication of unfitness levels in the area but will not guarantee specific actions," says the report.

The report states that it has been known for years that Burnley Wood and the Trinity/Piccadilly areas require urgent attention.

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