PENDLE Council bosses are hoping to buy up derelict homes and land for redevelopment.

A partial roof collapse damaged a row of four terraced properties in Elizabeth Street, Nelson, in 2013.

Three of the houses were already under council ownership but one, belonging to Norman Lyons, was privately owned.

Since the collapse, 71 Elizabeth Street has been demolished while 69 Elizabeth Street has been partially knocked down.

The council’s policy and resources committee is expected to pass a resolution next week which would allow the authority to begin the compulsory purchase order process for 65-71 Elizabeth Street in Nelson.

Numbers 67, 69 and 71 are already in council ownership, though freeholds and leaseholds still hold some interest which the council hopes to buy out.

Once the process is complete, the council plans to clear the site and open it up for development, either for commercial or residential use.

The council bought the three houses on Elizabeth Street in 2007.

At that time, the authority offered to buy Mr Lyons’s property but he didn’t wish to sell.

The block was planned for demolition as part of the housing market renewal programme and the site was going to be part of a wider redevelopment project.

Pendle Council's environmental health manager, Paul Lloyd, said: "The council has approached all known owners of the land in an attempt to acquire ownership by voluntary means.

"To date, this has not proved to be possible, although it is proposed to continue negotiations until such a time as the proposed order may be confirmed by the secretary of state.

"The council estimates that the acquisition cost of the land is in the region of £15,000 and that this, together with clearance costs, can be met from within existing budgets.

"For an order to be confirmed, the council must make a compelling case in the public interest.

"Officers consider that the promotion of the order makes such a case, because it would enable improvement of the site by way of clearance, facilitating an immediate improvement of the site in the environmental wellbeing of the land and the local area, whilst providing future development opportunities for any cleared site.

"The policy and resources committee is recommended to pass the resolution enabling a compulsory purchase order to be promoted by the council."