COUNCILLORS are to hold an emergency meeting to discuss axing jobs in an attempt to solve a housing crisis.

Rossendale's housing committee meets tomorrow to try to halt over-spending which is spiralling out of control.

The meeting is likely to be held in private because jobs are at risk if the council is to peg back spending. Cutting staff at neighbourhood offices is among the measures to be discussed.

One post could be lost at each of the neighbourhood offices in Waterfoot, Bacup and Whitworth.

The threat of job cuts has angered the local estate management boards who feel they are already under pressure.

Councillors and officers took steps in August to curb overspending, particularly on housing repairs. But a report to the meeting warns that the department will still overspend by nearly £300,000 this year if further cuts are not implemented.

The committee was warned last month that if drastic measures were not taken next year's budget could be over £1 million in the red.

A report spells out the problems the housing department faces in trying to balance the books. They include:

A 50 per cent cut in the money the council has been allowed to spend on building work.

Day-to-day repairs running at nearly £5,000 over budget.

Tenants handing in their keys at the rate of over 16 a week.

Increases in lost rent from empty properties.

A rise in the cost of repairs to properties.

Staff have been told to cut back on all but essential repairs to council properties but the report points out that this will increase problems in the future.

Every empty property now costs the council on average £1,147 in repairs and lost rents.

Councillors are hoping the Government will relax its financial controls and allow them to use some of its money to top up the housing budget.

Brenda Riley, secretary of the Haslingden Estates Management Board, has told the council: "The situation at Haslingden is reaching critical levels."

She says because of staffing cuts, processing of housing applications is six months behind schedule, repairs inspections are falling behind and no-one is available to deal effectively with complaints.

She added: "The service at Haslingden has fallen to a totally unacceptable level and cannot be allowed to fall even further."

Staff in Whitworth and Waterfoot are also opposing plans to introduce only part-time cash collection at their offices which will reduce the number of cashiers needed.

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