SOCIAL housing provider Calico Homes is to make a presentation to councillors after coming under fire at a public meeting.

The firm, which has 4,600 tenants, was criticised at last month’s Burnley Full Council meeting.

Their service to their clients was condemned by Tory group leader Alan Hosker.

He has branded the Burnley-based group ‘a shambles’.

At last week’s full council, borough housing executive member Cllr John Harbour said: “We are talking about bringing Calico in to make a presentation to the council.

“I think that would be the right arena to raise these concerns.

“I think it’s only fair that if we are going to say things about Calico, there should be somebody there from the company who can answer these concerns.”

At last month’s meeting Cllr Hosker said he had received many complaints about Calico in his Hapton with Park ward in Padiham.

He detailed four cases.

The first was a house in Warwick Drive where the structure had dropped down, leaving the living room floor ‘caved in’.

The second was a property in Cambridge Drive where the door frames no longer fitted because of subsidence causing draughts and damp.

The third was a house in Lancaster Drive where an elderly couple had to call on Calico 35 times to repair their boiler before Cllr Hosker finally got it replaced.

The fourth was another home in Lancaster Drive where subsidence causing the window frames not to fit resulting in damp and condensation.

Cllr Hosker said: “Calico is a shambles. I have had many many complaints about their properties."

Rosegrove with Lowerhouse ward’s Labour councillor Marcus Johnstone said: “You should have seen the state of the housing when run by Burnley Council. It was appalling. Compared to that Calico is a very good landlord.”

Mark Beach, managing director of Calico Homes, said: “We are already aware of the recent enquiries raised and are pleased that most of the issues have already been resolved. We are actively working to progress the remaining repairs.

“In March, we began delivering a reduced repair service to ensure we were following government guidance which led to a backlog of repair requests."