A BRIERFIELD councillor has called for action on Sackville Street where he claims many of the houses may be ‘unliveable’.

A regeneration scheme around the Railway Street area of Brierfield brought almost £300,000 of improvements to houses last year.

But Coun Nawaz Ahmed says Sackville Street has been left in an ‘appalling’ condition and needs to be improved urgently.

Speaking at Brierfield and Reedley Area Committee, he said: “There are many empty properties around Sackville Street and Railway Terrace and the condition of the area is appal- ling.

“Houses are boarded up and trees are growing in back gardens, causing garden walls to lean – they could collapse at any time.

“Many of the gardens of houses which are boarded up are full of rubbish, and damp rising from these houses is causing further damp to neighbouring properties.

“To the front of Railway Terrace there is land which is very untidy, belonging to an investor.

“We have to make sure that the owner of this land is held responsible for keeping this area clean and tidy.

“Old Railway Yard, facing Railway Terrace is an eyesore and requires immediate attention.

“Environmental Visual Audits are carried out on a monthly basis, but they have failed to address these problems. The condition of each property makes it unsuitable for living and actually dangerous and therefore a threat to the health of each resident.

“The majority of household members have no financial means to regenerate their homes.”

Coun Ahmed identified a five-point resolution, which was unanimously agreed by the committee.

He suggests that the area will be deemed an ‘Action Area’ and that members of Pendle’s executive will be invited for a walk around the area as well as a meeting with councillors, residents and the health and environment team. He also said that should houses be found unfit for living, residents should be given the option to buy back into the area in the new homes on Holden Road at the normal sales price, as homeowners in Clitheroe Road were able to do when their houses were demolished via compulsory purchase orders.

He also suggested that proceeds from the sales of Holden Road, Quaker Heights, Lob Lane Mills Flats, 72 to 80 Burnley Road and ‘improvement for sale’ schemes should be kept in Brierfield for the improvement of the Railway Street corridor.