THE Whitefield area of Nelson will be in the spotlight at a national conference this week as an example of communities fighting to save their heritage.

Representatives from heritage bodies, the council, a residents' group and the Elevate East Lancashire Pathfinder Initiative will travel to London to share their experiences from the years of uncertainty over the area's future.

Their audience will be made up of planners, architects, conservationists, politicians and business people from across the UK.

The conference, organised by London-based Landor, is called Putting Old Buildings to Productive New Uses.

Whitefield was selected as a case study for the conference after deputy Prime Minister John Prescott overturned council plans to demolish homes in the area last September. His decision followed two public inquiries where residents and heritage bodies fought the council proposals.

Henry Owen-John, the North West regional director of English Heritage, will explain why the terraced homes in Whitefield were worth saving while council leader Alan Davies will give a presentation called 'When a community says no: Turning round the public sector juggernaut'. Coun Davies also said he hopes to be able to use the conference to announce the individual who will lead the creative vision for the regeneration of the homes in Whitefield.

Coun Davies said he would be proud to talk to people from all over the UK about what had happened in Nelson.

He said: "Because so many members of the council and senior officers were so tied to the proposals it took time to convince them that we had to start off again with nothing on the table, but that is what we did."

Sylvia Wilson, of the Whitefield Residents' Action Group, said: "It will be really interesting to hear what everyone has to say."