PLANS for a trail-blazing housing estate which could help regenerate part of Blackburn have moved a step closer.

Earlier this year it was revealed Alaska Street in Blackburn is set to get its first estate of modular factory-built homes.

The 73 two, three and four bedroomed houses in the Infirmary area will be built by social housing provider Places for People for affordable rent.

The £11 million estate is among the first in the UK to use the revolutionary technique which sees the homes built in sections in a factory and then transported by lorry for swift assembly on site.

With a production time of 64 weeks compared to two years for traditionally-built homes, bosses at Places for People believe modular construction can help meet the nation's housing needs.

Now an application has been submitted to Blackburn with Darwen Council, bringing the project closer to reality.

A design and access statement submitted as part of the application reads: "The opportunity to introduced quality new social housing on a highly accessible site close to Blackburn town centre and adjacent to Highfield Park.

"The development of a mix of good quality of two, three and four bedroom homes, which will broad the choice of attractive, good quality, modern housing in the area.

"Overall, this residential development will strengthen and diversify the housing

offer for the borough, as well as contribute to the wider regeneration and

development objectives.

"The redevelopment of Alaska Street has been a priority for the rejuvenation of South Blackburn for a number of years.

"The Infirmary Waterside Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) was developed in 2009, which provide guidance on planning, highway, design and other issues to assist in the preparation of proposals for the redevelopment of a number of key sites within the area.

The SPD was produced to set out key objectives for the area, including regeneration, transportation, open space and infrastructure, and ensuring  housing development and community facilities are provided to meet residents' needs.

The statement adds: "More recently the application site has been identified and allocated within the local plan, with the site being central to the delivery of the council’s strategy for new housing.

"Reasons for the site’s allocation include the contribution to the council’s housing objectives, to be a catalyst regeneration in areas of former

housing clearance sites and housing to meet specific needs of the borough.

A statement from Lancashire Police designing out crime officer, Davina Helm, was also included as part of the application.

She said: "During the past 12 months there have been high volumes of recorded crimes and incidents within this police incident area, which encapsulates the proposed new development.

"This includes a number of burglaries targeting rear/side doors, windows and sheds, criminal damage, assaults, offences targeting vehicles and anti-social behaviour issues, such as nuisance.

"It will be beneficial to address any crime and security issues as early as possible in the design process to enable crime prevention strategies to be effectively integrated into the overall development.

"I would recommend that this development is built to the police preferred specification initiative, Secured by Design ‘Homes 2016’."

Places for People hope the first tenants will move in before Christmas with the entire estate completed by the end of next year.

Remediation work on the 'brownfield' site, where 146 pre-1919 terraced houses were demolished in 2010, is expected to start in August with the first deliveries of the four to six modules for each property in November.