A BID for £5 million has been made to tackle severe housing and social conditions in Burnley after the town was labelled one of the most deprived urban areas in the country.

The move has come as government officials were told problems in Stoneyholme and Daneshouse were desperate and getting visibly worse by the month.

The £5million pound bid towards tackling severe private housing problems in the two wards has been submitted to the government office for the North West.

Officers from Burnley Council have put together a package attempting to convince central government officials that the town has an urgent housing problem.

They are telling top civil servants that the town, above all others, needs funding to make an impact in an area where both the physical and social conditions are becoming visibly worse. Although not the only areas of the borough requiring attention, Stoneyholme and Daneshouse is the most deprived part of the town.

A detailed study recently confirmed the overall need for a colossal £40 million investment just to bring the housing stock up to a good state of repair.

The Council is facing severe financial constraints and can make little progress in tackling the area's problems without attracting additional external resources.

The main elements of the bid include:

The Changing Homes Initiative aimed at improving the housing clearance process and offering a wide package of options for householders affected.

Repair of housing blocks.

Improved road access for the commercial sector.

Environmental improvements and road and community safety initiatives. It is planned that a partnership between the council, housing associations and the Nelson-based Marsden Building Society together with local businesses and the community will oversee improvements to the area.

Housing committee chairman Coun Rafique Malik commented: "We desperately need this bid to succeed to implement our urban renewal strategy for Daneshouse."

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