WORK has got underway on a new affordable housing project in Burnley.

Construction has started on 18 new family homes in the Daneshouse, Stoneyholme and Duke Bar area as part of Burnley Council’s Elevate programme.

The three and four-bedroom properties — 12 for rent and six for shared ownership — are being built by Great Places Housing Group.

It is the first development to start and comes after housing developer Gleeson pulled out of an agreement with Burnley Council to build houses in the area due to the credit crunch.

Neighbours of the new development in Hurtley Street were shown around the building site as work with contractor R P Tyson got started.

The development will comprise a mix of eco-friendly family houses and town houses between two and three storeys high and should be complete in the summer of 2009.

Councillor Jeff Sumner, Burnley Council executive member, said: “To see this development beginning is great news. Great Places are doing a great job.

“We are determined to continue with our plans to regenerate this and other areas across the borough despite difficulties in the national economy.”

Max Steinberg, chief executive of Elevate, said: “We are delighted to see new build activity in one of Burnley and Elevate’s key priority areas.

"Despite the difficult financial climate it is encouraging to see real progr-ess being made in beginning to transform this area.”