HUNDREDS of affordable homes can be built on urban plots of land in Pendle after the council authorised the use of a controversial £1.5million pot of cash.

The Brownfield Sites Fund was set aside by the previous Conservative administration in February.

MORE TOP STORIES:

The new Labour/Liberal Democrat coalition has approved the development of a scheme to use the cash to pump prime the building of affordable homes in the borough.

The money is aimed at using previously-developed and cleared ‘brownfield’, often contaminated, land to develop low-cost houses and flats and protect the countryside around the borough’s towns.

The decision to press ahead with the use of the £1.5million fund, made by the borough’s ruling executive, follows months of fierce controversy over its value and usefulness.

In June, new Labour leader Mohammed Iqbal told Colne Conservative Paul White the fund was ‘a drop in the ocean’ compared to the money required. Pendle Tory MP Andrew Stephenson, Cllr White and borough Tory leader Joe Cooney accused the new borough administration of failing to make plans to use the money from the sale of council-owned properties. Yesterday, they accused Cllr Iqbal of making a ‘u-turn’ on the issue.

He replied: “There has been no change of heart on this issue.

“We have prime sites in mind including Oak Street Mill in Colne and the former Mansfield School in Brierfield. We want to work with developers to get as many affordable homes built as possible.

“We’ve been working with the government to consider ways we can get the most out of the fund.

“We were told we’d hear about the its regeneration initiatives this summer, but we’re still in the dark as to what, if any, funding Pendle will receive.

“This is very frustrating because it’s holding us back from launching our own scheme to develop brownfield sites. This is about getting the most for our council taxpayers £1.5million and the delay and indecision has not been on our part but the government’s.”