SWATHES of homes in Brierfield could be transformed as part of a multi-million pound drive to breathe new life into the town's rundown housing.

Members of the Pendle Council's Housing Market Renewal (HMR) committee will this evening decide whether to press ahead with a masterplan for the Railway Street area of the town.

As part of Elevate, the massive scheme to transform East Lancashire's neighbourhoods, regeneration bosses will investigate the area's problems and their causes as well as identifying ways how they can improve the neighbourhood.

Councillor Tony Greaves, executive member for housing market renewal, said the masterplan would play a key role in sparking the regeneration of the area.

He said: "It is important because this is a great area of Brierfield between the railway line and the town centre and it will lead to action which will contribute to revitalising Brierfield.

"Most of the areas are of poor quality housing around the town centre so regenerating around the town centre is vital. The scheme has already won approval by members of the Brierfield and Reedley Committee who have agreed to appoint two members to form part of a panel to oversee the project.

It is hoped: l Crumbling homes will be replaced with a mix of new properties creating more homeowners in the area rather than people renting l Routes from the town centre to the canal are improved l To create an individual character for the area while maintaining its historic routes.

A similar scheme is already under way along the town's canal corridor which will see new homes built on the site of present ones and a similar process is drawing to an end in Nelson.

Coun Greaves added: "We are coming to the end of a similar scheme in Bradley Ward in Nelson and the provisional final amount for that is £27million.

"The expectation is if this scheme is agreed by the council and by Elevate then it would be a multi million pound scheme."

The committee is meeting at Nelson town hall at 5pm.