EMPTY homes bought by Pendle Council are finally to be renovated after being sold on to local developers.

The council had purchased 19 homes with the intention of bringing them back into use.

But the plans had to be shelved following the withdrawal of the Government’s Housing Market Renewal funding in 2009.

The properties in Brierfield, Waterside (Colne), Bradley and Southfield (Nelson) are being extensively renovated by the private developers and most will be privately rented. All 19 houses were deemed ‘long-term vacant’ and included a row of five cottages on Burnley Road, Brierfield, where two had been empty for around 20 years.

Coun Joe Cooney, Pendle Council leader and leader on housing and regeneration, said: “Tackling the number of Pendle’s empty properties is a priority for us. Over the past five years, the figure has fallen by a massive 30 per cent from over 2,000 to 1,400, thanks to a number of different interventions from the council.

“Selling these properties to private developers ensures they can be brought back into use as soon as possible.

“It also means we can benefit from the Government’s New Homes Bonus – an incentive paid to councils for bringing long- term vacant properties back into use and building new housing in their area.”

Meanwhile, another row of 17 houses – this time on Regent Street, Nelson – are being offered for sale to developers.

The terrace properties were set to be knocked down before the Government’s Housing Market Renewal funding was removed.