COUNCIL tenants in Rishton are calling for major improvements to run-down homes on what they claim is a "forgotten" estate.

Forty residents of Cliff Street, Bridge Street, Sands Close and Danvers Street signed a petition which was passed to Hyndburn MP Greg Pope.

Hyndburn Council has arranged a public meeting for tenants at Norden High School, Rishton, at 7pm tomorrow to discuss their concerns.

Mrs Linda Lockhart, who organised the petition said: "The council are spending money on other estates in the borough and it's like they have just forgotten about us."

She said tenants' problems included rotting windows, dampness, ill-fitting doors. Some houses have no central heating.

Mrs Lockhart, of Cliff Street, added: "They just want to patch things up with a bit of putty and plaster here and there. The houses want proper work doing on them.

"This used to be a highly sought-after estate. Now people don't want to live here any more."

Mrs Catherine Gallagher, of Cliff Street, said she had to borrow money from her family to replace a 45-year-old bathroom suite and fit gas wall heaters in her children's bedrooms.

The three-bedroomed house was heated only by a gas fire in the sitting room and she was told there was no money for a central heating grant.

Council director of community services Edgar Bignell said: "It's true to say the estate does need an investment plan."

But the Sands was not a forgotten estate, he added.

Mr Bignell said: "We have managed to do a considerable amount of property improvement throughout the borough but we know a lot needs doing.

"We are seeking ways of trying to unlock money to improve council housing which we are not allowed to raise ourselves.

"We can't borrow money without Government permission and we can't raise it because we are capped."

Mr Pope said: "The estate does need re-vamping and council tenants deserve better than they are getting.

"The problem is that the council is cash-strapped and the Government has stopped the estate action programme by which councils could borrow money to do up run-down estates."

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