A COUNCIL has given up trying to rent out empty houses on a rundown estate -- because nobody wants to move there.

Now Hyndburn Council leader Peter Britcliffe is calling on people to stop knocking Huncoat's Within Grove estate and give it another chance after it was revealed the vacant properties will be demolished and replaced with more modern housing and better landscaping.

Coun Britcliffe slammed people for continually highlighting the negative aspects of the estate, including its problems with crime, deprivation and rundown houses.

He spoke out at a meeting of Hyndburn's cabinet and listed all the positive steps the council has taken to improve the estate, part of which is earmarked for demolition.

Ken Bury, head of Hyndburn's housing department, said: "Nationally, there is a glut of social housing and unfortunately, Huncoat has become a victim of this.

"We are no longer trying to fill the empty houses in Huncoat because we can't -- no one wants to live there.

"Our solution is to demolish the empty houses and build a smaller number of houses which will appeal to people more.

"It is great shame that we have to knock down these houses but we have done all we can. "

In recent years, many improvements have been made to Huncoat, including:

The creation of a new community centre within empty shops in the Within Grove area.

The setting up of an area council at the request of locals Cash has been spent on renovation and £30,000 a year for the next five years will be spent on knocking down old houses.

The council is currently in negotiation with Manchester-based housing firm Portico to pull down the estate and replace it with a modern, community-centred scheme.

Mr Bury added: "Once landscaped, the area will be much nicer and I believe it will be much easier to get new tenants.

Coun Douglas Deakin, a Huncoat councillor, said: "The area has the potential to be very nice. I cannot understand why people criticise it. It even has nice views."

And Coun Britcliffe said: "It is time people stopped knocking the estate. We have spent literally millions on there, improving things.

"There is a good community there and if they pull together we will get there."