AN estate once blighted by asbestos has become one of Blackburn's most sought-after locations for home hunters.

Hundreds of people have applied to live in homes on the Delph Lane estate, after landlord Twin Valley Homes began massive renovations of the properties.

The housing association, which runs Blackburn with Darwen Council's former housing department, has spent the last 18 months removing asbestos from the 100-plus properties.

Residents already living there have been moved out in small groups for up to six weeks to allow specially-trained staff to remove walls riddled with the brown-white asbestos mix.

The work is expected to continue until next year -- but that has not stopped people queuing up to rent houses becoming available on the estate.

Phil Richards, chief executive of Twin Valley Homes, said: "We advertised several properties for let recently and we had a massive response.

"People have seen the standard of the renovations and want to live here.

"We've tried to minimise the disruption for existing tenants as much as possible and, hopefully, the work should be completed within the next year."

Houses affected by the asbestos include those on Romney Walk, Dover Close, Hythe Close, Sandwich Close and Hasting Close. The houses were built in 1969 and are said to be of a 'skarne' construction, which means they are made up of concrete panels with brick gables and are described as 'non-traditional'.

Twin Valley is negotiating with Blackburn with Darwen Council to cover the cost of the extra work covered by a 'warranty' agreed between the two when Twin Valley was created in 2001.

The bill for the Delph Lane project is £2.8million, and Mr Richards said the company was waiting until it had completed its five-year repair programme across 10,000 houses before submitting a final demand.

Residents now hope the council will pay the bill for Twin Valley.

Albert Taylor, 66, an owner-occupier on Romney Walk for 21 years, who heads the Romney Walk Tenants and Residents Association, said: "I think the council has a moral obligation to sort this out and I think it's about time they did. Twin Valley are doing their best."