ALMOST £10 million of Government funding has been earmarked to regenerate housing in Pendle.

A £9.25 million injection of cash into the borough has been agreed by Elevate, the housing market renewal pathfinder for Pennine Lancashire.

The amount, which represents a cut from last year’s allocation, will be taken from a pot of £45 million Elevate is receiving from the Government to share between local authorities in Blackburn, Darwen, Rossendale, Hyndburn, Burnley and Pendle.

Councillors and town hall chiefs, who will now discuss proposals on how the money should be spent at Pendle Council’s executive committee’s meeting tomorrow (thur), said they were “disappointed” by the cuts, but vowed to plough ahead with regeneration schemes in the borough.

Proposals for 2009/10, which are subject to approval by the executive committee and Elevate’s board of directors, include making improvements to houses in Mason Street and New Market Street, Colne, and progressing plans to develop housing in Bright Street.

In addition, the committee will discuss starting construction work on new housing on the Brierfield Canal Corridor site and improving housing blocks in Leeds Road, Bankhouse Road, Bradley Road East and Hey Street, Nelson, as well as Colne Road, Brierfield.

There is also a possibility of refurbishing properties already acquired in Brierfield and Colne.

And work to improve grot-spots in Nelson, Colne and Brierfield could also take place.

It is hoped the funding will allow the council to acquire properties and carry out environmental improvements in Bradley.

And regeneration chiefs plan to continue with refurbishments at properties in Every Street, Nelson, which includes demolishing the printworks and buying residential further properties in the Whitefield area.

The money could also pave the way for work to begin, implementing the Railway Street Masterplan.

Elevate will have the chance to bid for a further £5m later in the year, some of which could be allocated to Pendle.

Coun Tony Greaves, Pendle Council’s executive member for housing market renewal, said: “We are disappointed at the cuts in funding imposed by the Government, but we are pressing on with the regeneration schemes.”

Julie Whittaker, Pendle council’s housing regeneration services manager, added: “This will all help in our long-term focus – to make Pendle a better place to live, work and visit.”