RESIDENTS say they will barricade their homes to defy any plans to demolish them.

Householders in the Rectory Road area of Burnley voiced their defiance at a public meeting at which they rejected a council proposal to clear all homes in their small community to make way for industry.

The "clear-them-all" plan for around 80 properties, is the town hall's favoured option for dealing with the problem of declining housing in a backwater of Burnley.

But house-proud residents say the council should opt for a cheaper alternative of clearing only those homes which are unfit, leaving the good ones standing.

They voiced their opposition to the £1.7 million clearance plan at a public meeting in the nearby Brougham Street school where many said they would take all steps necessary to stop the bulldozers.

The issue was to have been decided at a meeting of the council's housing committee tomorrow.

But now council chiefs say the matter will be thrashed out at a special joint meeting with the planning committee on September 2.

Liberal Democrat councillor Gordon Birtwistle, who is supporting the residents said: "Many homes in the area are in quite good condition and it is wrong to just clear them all.

"A better alternative is to demolish just those in a bad state and spend money on renewing the remainder.

"Residents feel they have been sold out and that the council has already made its decision to clear all the homes."

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