COUNCIL officers are to carry out an investigation into complaints about improvement work on a housing estate.

Members of Padiham and Hapton area sub-committee were told of alleged problems with Stonemoor Bottom estate, which has been undergoing a multi-million pound improvement programme over the last three years.

Tenant member Mary Emmott said the work being done was absolutely atrocious, and jobs had been left half-finished.

Others queried whether tenants would be entitled to decoration vouchers from the council to make good any damage caused by contractors while the work is being carried out.

Councillor John Greenwood said: "If contractors during a development programme damage property then they should be responsible for putting it right." Wayne Keating, housing neighbourhood manager, said: "At the end of each contract it is routine to check snagging problems and if the contractor does not fix these problems then they don't get the five per cent that is kept back."

Chairman Coun Granville Lord said: "We have two clerks of works who will be checking all the work on phase three and we will be holding a special meeting to discuss their findings."

Tenant member Ann Bartlett said the committee had built £20,000 into the contract for phase three which should have been used to pay for a night watchman, but the contractor had used this money for two secure cabins instead.

She said: "The contractor has now got these cabins as an asset but we did not get the security of having a night watchman."

But Coun Lord said: "The role of the night watchman was to protect the property of the contractor left on site. They bought cabins and secured their materials that way."

It was agreed to ask the contractor about the money and report back.

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