EAST Lancashire's housing regeneration scheme which has seen hundreds of dilapidated homes demolished offers value for money, according to the man spearheading the scheme.

Max Steinberg, chief executive of Elevate, said he was happy to defend the record of the scheme, which has seen 2,500 homes repaired, and 850 demolished, in the past four years.

It comes as the National Audit Office started an investigation into the Department for Communities and Local Government, and its sometimes controversial Pathfinders housing market renewal scheme.

Mr Steinberg said: "We can point to a whole series of achievements."